He's a Pirate
by Fuzzy-Pamplemousse
Summary: Jack goes searching for a locket that is supposed to have the ability to control the sea. His bravery will be tested and the locket will reveal a strange secret. But there's someone else who wants it, and will do anything to get it. Complete!
1. Captain, If You Please

He's a Pirate

Chapter 1- Captain, If You Please

The waves rolled and crashed against the side of the wall. The people inside huddled in their homes, glad that they could wait out the storm in safety. High above the roofs of the town, a lighthouse stood with its beam casting light across the ocean. Not a speck of anything could be seen across those rolling waves.

Rain came down in torrents, soaking a drunken man who was sleeping in an alley. The cold droplets of water woke him, and he looked around himself in surprise. His wet hat covered most of his eyes, and he pushed it up so he could see better. His vision was blurred, and he took several minutes to figure out if he was upside-down or right-side-up. The drunkard stood up and swayed slightly on uncertain legs. He turned and saw a broom leaning up against the wall of a building. He bowed ungracefully to it, taking off his three-tiered hat as he did so.

"Hello, luv," the drunken man said to the broom, slurring his words so that they sounded like a jumble of incoherent gurgles Music drifted outside from the building that he stood beside. The building happened to be a tavern. It was called Two Hornpipes. "May I have this dance?" He asked. Then he picked up the broom as though it were a lady and began to dance to the lively tune coming through the partially open kitchen door.

The man swayed on uncertain feet, and eventually fell backwards, hitting his bottom on the ground.

"Ow," he said calmly, and after a long pause. He cradled the broom close and lay down on the wet ground. Curling up, he rested his head on the handle of the broom. "You and me, luv," he said, "we're soul mates, eh?" He chuckled at nothing and closed his heavy eyes.

Just as the man was nearly asleep, he heard the faint sound of a door opening. Footsteps brought someone to the drunkard's feet. He raised his head off of the broom and looked into a blurred face of what seemed to be a smiling man. The man was wearing breeches and tunic that were already wet with rain, and the wind whipped his short hair over his face. The man's salt and pepper beard was short, and ill-kempt.

"Mother's love!" the man exclaimed. Or at least, that's what the drunkard thought he said. His hearing wasn't doing too well at that moment. "Jack Sparrow! What are ye doing here?" The salt and pepper man reached out a hand and helped up the drunken man.

"**_Captain_** Jack Shparrow, if you please," Jack said, swaying. He looked around himself, searching for something. He bent down and picked up the broom. "Have ye met me new bonny lass?" He asked the salt and pepper man.

"Jack, come inside," the salt and pepper man replied. "Ye'll catch yer death." He led the swaying pirate into the tavern.

The music was much louder now, and as Jack's hearing still hadn't quite come back, he shouted in the salt and pepper man's ear, "Who are here doing you, Gibbs?"

Gibbs pulled Jack away to an unoccupied table and swept away the crumbs that littered the table's wooden surface. No one noticed a gray mouse scurry out of a hole in the wall and snatch up the bread crumbs.

"Here ye go," Gibbs said, putting a tankard of ale in front of Jack. It was diluted with water, so very little of it was alcoholic. Jack didn't notice, and instead downed the tankard in one swift movement. He belched loudly and put his feet up on the table.

"So," Gibbs began,"where have ye been, Jack?"

Jack waved his hand around dramatically and fell off of his seat. "It's really unimportant as to where I have been," he said, standing up and attempting to get his balance. "What's really important is where I'm going." He tried to take a swig of ale, but then noticed that the glass was empty. "Oh," he mumbled, and put the glass on the table. Gibbs filled it completely with water this time, trying to sober the pirate captain up so he would be easy to talk to.

Jack tried to take a swig of it, but he couldn't smell any alcohol, and when he took a sip, it tasted awful. "Blech!" Jack exclaimed, throwing the tankard of water in a haphazard direction. It crashed into someone's skull, knocking the person unconscious. The other people at the table all looked at Jack. One held a knife, and was carving things into the table menacingly. Jack waved at the man, and saliva dribbled down his chin.

Gibbs stood up and tried to steer Jack away from the rest of the people so he wouldn't get into a fight, but it was too late. One of the men that had been sitting at the other table stood up and came over. He had a thick, black mustache, and curly black hair. The rest of his face was just down-right ugly. Jack held out his hand to the obviously angry man.

"How ye doing, mate?" The pirate captain asked drunkenly. He leaned forward and breathed his hot, rancid breath in the taller man's face. "I'm Captain Jack Shparrow. Mind ye call me **_Captain_** Jack, or **_Captain_** Shparrow, or **_Captain_** Jack Shparrow." He rocked back and forth on his weak legs. "Jush sho long ash ish Captain." He fell against the other man's chest and began to snore loudly. The beads in his black dreadlocks clinked together faintly, and his hat was askew.

The other man had been standing perfectly still, waiting to hear Jack's apology. Unfortunately, the man did not realize that Jack had forgotten the incident with the tankard of water even before it even happened. The man set Jack standing upright. Jack opened his eyes and squinted at the man, studying him.

"Ye don't seem to want to stay awake, mate," the taller man said. His muscles bulged under his sleeveless shirt. "Perhaps I aught to help ye fall asleep."

"Now, now," Gibbs began, coming up and beginning to lead the tall man away. "There's no reason to get testy."

"Do ye want to go to sleep, too, Gibbs?" The black-haired man growled.

"Ye know what, it's obviously none of me business," Gibbs said, backing away. "I'll just let ye two get on with yer conversation."

The tall man nodded, and turned back to Jack, who was looking around. He spotted a person who he thought was a woman. He smiled and waved drunkenly at the man with the peg-leg. The growled and held up a knife. But Jack didn't notice because the next thing he knew, the tall man had returned, and was holding Jack by his collar.

"Let me sing ye a song to help ye fall asleep," he said.

"Oh, I love songs!" Jack exclaimed. Then he began to sing to the lively tune of a fiddle. "Everyone gather round! I'll buy ye all a round! And we'll drink, drink, drink until we shtink, shtink, shtink!" He giggled somewhat insanely. "Let's shtink 'til we drink!" He exclaimed, and tried to reach for a tankard of ale that was sitting on a table.

Unfortunately, it was at that moment that Jack was thrown across the room by the tall man. "Sweet dreams, Jack Sparrow!" The man exclaimed, laughing.

Lights danced in front of Jack's eyes, and he blinked several times. He lay there on the floor, stunned. "I shought I wush going to shleep," he muttered. He raised his head, but found that it took too much energy to sit up. So he just lay his head down on the floor. His mind imagined him with dozens of beautiful woman who were not jealous like all the other women he had "courted".

"Hello, luv," he muttered, and passed out on the floor. Gibbs rolled Jack out of the main room and attempted to drag him up the stairs. When he couldn't get past the first step, he instead dragged Jack's unconscious body into a back room that was normally kept for someone who was going to be employing the services of the ladies in the tavern. Jack slept there on a straw pallet until morning.

**A/N: I hope you liked that! It's my first Jack Sparrow story, so let me know if I'm doing anything wrong. I always say that the best way to think of how to end one story is to start another. Review please!**


	2. A Letter

He's a Pirate

Chapter 2- The Letter

Jack peered through his closed eyes at the redness of the morning sunlight. His head was killing him, and he longed to sleep through the day. He squinted through half-opened eyelids and peered at the room where he lay. He didn't recognize anything in the room. He sat up, and his head swam. There was a constant ache behind his eyes, and he felt more tired than he'd ever been in his life. He groaned and slowly stood up.

In a corner of the room stood a table with a washbasin on top of it. Jack stumbled over to it and splashed cold water on his face. He looked in the mirror that hung on the wall. His unshaven face was ragged, and he had a large purple bruise covering one eye. He gently poked the bruise. Where had that come from? Then Jack noticed that he wasn't wearing his hat. He looked around frantically for the hat. He bent over and began to search the drawers of the table.

He was so intent on finding his hat, that he didn't see the door open, and a young serving girl came in. she closed the door behind her, and the sound make Jack jump.

"Good morning, Mr. Sparrow," the girl said cheerfully, setting a tray of food down on the table beside the washbasin. Why did she call Jack Mr. Sparrow? That was the kind of thing that Jack would have expected from a lady, but not from a serving girl. Normally, the serving girls would flirt with Jack, even though all of them knew he was a scoundrel and not to be trusted.

"I trust you slept well?" She went over to the window and opened the shutters. Bright sunlight streamed through the window and made Jack's eyes water. His head ached even more now than before.

Then the girl turned around to face Jack. She had short, cropped, strawberry blond hair, and green eyes. Her face was shaped somewhat roundly. She was thin, but not so thin as all the women out there who were always wearing those extremely tight corsets. She had a slender neck, and high cheekbones. She was really very pretty, but Jack could see that she was also very young. She couldn't have been more than seventeen years old.

"Where's my hat?" Jack demanded weakly. He put a hand to his head.

The girl pointed. "It's over there, on the bed. It must have fallen off your head when you got up." She went over to the washbasin while Jack retrieved his three-tiered pirate hat. He dusted it off and set it on his head reverently. The girl looked like she was trying to stifle a giggle.

She picked up a pitcher of what Jack hoped was ale and poured a brownish-yellow liquid into a mug. It smelled good, anyway, so it must have been alcoholic. (Jack didn't think that a beverage could smell good if it wasn't even slightly alcoholic.)

"Drink this," the girl said, handing him the mug. "It will help alleviate the headache."

Jack cautiously took the mug and sniffed it. "What's in it?" He asked suspiciously.

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that," the girl replied evasively. "It's a secret family recipe. It's supposed to cure hangovers." She smiled knowingly. "And from what I heard of what happened last night, you probably have a hangover."

"Does that mean that it has ale in it?" Jack asked, taking a tiny, tiny sip of the liquid. It was warm and sweet, and trickled down his throat. Jack could taste some spices, but he couldn't put his finger on what they were.

"Of course not," the girl said. "It wouldn't work if it had ale in it. It's supposed to clean out all the alcohol in your body."

"What are you trying to do, sober me up?" Jack demanded, taking another sip of the hangover remedy.

"That's the idea," the girl replied calmly.

Jack muttered something that was incomprehensible, and took another sip of the remedy. It was hot, and it burned his tongue. He stuck his tongue out of his mouth for a moment to cool it.

"I'm Karie, by the way," the girl said, holding out her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Sparrow."

"Captain," Jack corrected, taking her hand and giving it a quick pump. "It's Captain Sparrow."

"Right," Karie said, smiling slightly. "Captain." When Karie smiled, Jack could see all her teeth, and he noticed that they were all there, and only slightly yellowed. Normally, a person might have most of their teeth at her age, but not all. And the person's teeth would be either bright yellow, or brown. Hers were only slightly tinted yellow. That was another thing that was odd about her. First she called Jack Mr. Sparrow, then Jack sees that she has well-kept teeth. Very strange, Jack thought, sipping the tonic. Already he was beginning to feel better.

"Oh!" Karie suddenly exclaimed. "I nearly forgot." She reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out a letter. She handed it to Jack. "For you," she said.

"Thanks, mate," Jack said, and took the letter. He was glad that he had been taught how to read. A short while after he had escaped from Port Royal, Jack had returned because he wanted to thank Will Turner for saving his life. Of course, he never would have done that if Anna-Maria hadn't threatened to cut out his tongue and make a parrot do all the talking for him, like Mr. Cotton. Anyway, Elizabeth had taught him to read well enough so that he would be able to decipher what was necessary.

Jack set the mug of tonic down beside the washbasin and opened the letter. He tore the envelope, but he didn't care. He pulled out of the ruined envelope a single sheet of paper, and threw the envelope on the ground. The paper had a thin, spidery scrawl covering both sides of the sheet, and a seal was pressed onto the paper in with red wax. It was on the bottom, left-hand corner of the second side of the paper.

Jack looked at the beginning of the letter. **_Dear Mr. Sparrow, _**it said. "Captain, Captain Sparrow," Jack muttered to himself. Jack then read the rest of the letter.

_**Dear Mr. Sparrow,**_

_**I have been trying for some time to reach you, but have been unsuccessful. Therefore, I sent this letter along with my niece with the instructions that she is to wait in Tortuga until you show up, and then deliver the letter to you.**_

_**Once you have read this letter, I know that you will want to prepare to leave immediately. My niece shall accompany you and lead you to where I live, seeing as how it would be nearly impossible for you to find my home on your own.**_

_**The reason I am writing this letter is because I have an artifact that I think you might want to have a look at. The reason I am offering it to you instead of someone else is because the alternative is rather frightening. The artifact that I speak of is quite old, and very valuable, if you know what it's for. Please, hurry. I do not want to have to have another encounter with the alternative person. If you do not show up in one month's time, then I will declare the artifact, and my life along with it, forfeit. I know that if I do not declare my life forfeit as well, I will die anyway by the hand of someone who I'm sure that you do not wish to meet again.**_

_**I beg of you to make with great haste and hurry to my home. My niece will inform you of all that you need to know for the journey. One more thing, do not let anyone, no matter how much you may trust them, don't let anyone know what you are after. Once you have read this, I ask that you burn the paper. Please hurry. My life and the lives of others are in your hands.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Barnabas**_

_** Rigby**_

Jack sat down on the cot with the letter in his hands. He thought for a moment of what the artifact might be. The only thing he could come up with would be that it would be the one thing he had been wanting since he was a young boy. Jack's mind reeled at the possibilities the artifact might open up for him. Power was about to be handed to him on a silver platter. This would be a trip worth making.

"Who's the niece?" Jack asked himself.

"I am," Karie replied, folding her arms across her chest.

**A/N: Please review and tell me what you think! I hope you like it!**


	3. A Story

He's a Pirate

Chapter 3- The Story

**A/N: I own only my imagination. I don't know if this stuff that I'm writing is true, but let's just say, for the story's sake, that it is. I don't own The Pirates of the Caribbean.**

-

**_A little boy ran up to his mother. In his hands he held a book. His curly, black hair curved and framed his face, making him seem almost angelic. Who knew that such a sweet-faced, innocent little boy would turn into something much more sinister._**

_**"Read me a story, mommy," the boy said, placing the book on his mother's lap. His mother put down her knitting and smiled at her son. She had never wanted anything more in the world than a family, and now she had just that. In later years, when her son was grown and living on his own with his own wife, she would remember the sweet-faced little boy, and she would smile with tears in her eyes. But for the moment, she was happy to oblige her son. She picked him up and set him on her lap. Opening the book, she began to read.**_

_**"Once upon a time," she read, "there lived a young man with a dream. The man's name was Jack. His dream was to bring home to his mother a gift, one that she would never forget. He loved his mother very much, and he wanted to make her birthday special.**_

_**"So, Jack set out on a journey across the seas. He traveled far and wide, searching everywhere for the perfect gift. Everywhere he went, people offered him fine silks, beautiful jewelry, and all sorts of wonders. But Jack didn't find the right gift for his mother. Nothing was good enough.**_

_**"Finally, after a fruitless search, Jack steered his ship to a small island. It was nighttime, and there were lights and dancing going on in the nearby town. Jack thought it a good idea to stop for the night and allow his crew some time to rest, as they were all exhausted.**_

_**"The town was called, Tortuga. Now, Jack didn't know this, but the town was full of vagabonds, and all sorts of mean and bad people, who didn't obey the law. Pirates went there often.**_

_**"Jack stopped at a tavern to ask if there was a decent place to get a bed for the night. The bartender said that he sold rooms. Jack, not wanting to offend the bartender, agreed to rent a room. While he was there, Jack sat beside a strange man who was at a table that was tucked into a far corner of the room.**_

_**"The man was tall, and had a graying beard that was sprinkled with black spots. Jack didn't know this, but the man was a pirate captain. His name was Captain Timothy Marks. The Pirate captain seemed friendly enough, although he wasn't very talkative. Jack took a liking to him right away.**_

_**"Jack told the Captain about his situation, and asked what he might be able to do to find the perfect gift. Then Captain Timothy Marks told Jack a story. This is what he said:**_

_**"'Jack. Let me tell you of something that I think will help you on you search for the perfect gift. But you have to promise me, that for two years, you will be a member of my crew.'**_

_**"Jack heartily agreed. 'What is the thing that will help me?' He asked.**_

_**"'There is a legend that speaks of an artifact with great power,' Captain Marks said. 'It's said that, if you possess this artifact, you will be able to control the sea itself.'**_

_**"'What is the artifact?' Jack asked.**_

_**"'A locket,' came the reply. 'A locket with a picture inside. The picture is of a young man. The locket belonged to a woman who wanted nothing more than to see her lover safely home. She waited for several months on the peak of the mountain where the lighthouse stands now. She never moved from that place.**_

_**"'Then, one day, a man came up to her, telling her that her lover had died at sea. In her grief, the woman took the locket that her lover had given her, the one with the picture of him inside it, and she threw it into the crashing waves. She stood there then, for the rest of her natural life, and she stands there still. Although, now she is nothing more than a stone that looks much like a young woman who's dress in blowing in the wind.**_

_**"'But the locket, now that is something special. That locket holds all her hopes. With the locket held in her hand, she ad willed the waves of the sea to bring her lover safely home. But the waves failed her. Her greatest wish was to be able to control the waves, and make them bring her lover home. But the locket hadn't obeyed her. It chooses who it obeys. That locket, now that would be something special.'**_

_**"'But, wouldn't the locket be lost forever?' Jack asked.**_

_**"'Not forever,' the captain replied. 'Someone found it, I think. But they died a mysterious death. No one knows where the locket is now, but that doesn't mean that it's lost forever. I'm just saying that it might make a good present. I heard that the locket also holds something that is filled with immense power. Perhaps that is what you should get for you mother.'**_

_**"'Thank you,' said Jack. He had completely forgotten about getting the gift for his mother. All he could think of was the locket, and what it might hold. He heartily shook the man's hand. 'I shall return as soon as I have found it. Do not think I have forgotten my promise.'**_

_**"'Not so fast," the Captain said. "You promised you would stay on my ship if I told you about it. Not if you actually found it. It could take you years. No, a deal is a deal. You must work for me for two years.'**_

_**"Jack hung his head in defeat. He knew that he had to stay true to his word. So, Jack learned the art of piracy from Captain Timothy Marks. He never returned to his home, and this broke his mother's heart. All he could think of was the locket.**_

_**"He perfected the art of piracy, and, after his two years were up, he went on to become a pirate captain himself. He became the legendary Jack Sparrow, the most feared pirate ever to sail the sea."**_

_**"Mommy," the little boy said when the story was finished. He looked up at his mother, "What do you want for you birthday?"**_

_**"My birthday is not for many months," his mother replied. "And you don't have to get me anything. You are only five years old. You can't possibly be expected to give me anything."**_

_**"But I want to," he said. "When I am older, I will get you that locket. You deserve it. And I won't forget like Jack Sparrow did."**_

_**His mother stroked his hair. "Of course, Dear," she smiled at his childish fancies.**_

_**The boy leaned back against his mother. He closed his eyes and dreamed that he was a pirate captain, sailing the ocean. He dreamed that he found the locket, and he brought it home to his mother. But when he returned home, his mother wasn't there, and a different family was living in his home.**_

_**Suddenly, flames leaped against the walls of the house, and the family disappeared in a puff of smoke. The boy heard his mother crying out his name.**_

_**"Jeremy!" She screamed. Jeremy saw his mother among the flames. She was burning, and there was nothing he could do to save her.**_

**A/N: I hope you liked that. I know, it's very mysterious. But I have it all planned out in my head. I know exactly where I'm going with this...I think. Review, please, and let me know what you think.**


	4. The Black Pearl

He's a Pirate

Chapter 4- The Black Pearl

Jack swaggered down the docks with Karie behind him. He had burned the message after he had read it, like the man had asked. Jack knew from experience that you didn't want to mess with people who were probably stronger and smarter than you. It sounded as though the competition was going to stop at nothing to get the artifact. Neither would Jack.

Jack stopped beside a small dingy. He pointed to a ship several hundred meters out to sea. The ship was large, and it had black sails. He looked up at it with pride. He saw every little minute detail as a work of art. Apparently, Karie didn't agree with him.

"She's a beauty, ain't she?" Jack said, stretching his arms as though he had the world in his hands.

"If you say so," Karie said. She wrinkled her nose. "But, shouldn't it be a little cleaner?"

"Nah," Jack said, climbing into the dingy. "It's supposed to look like that from afar. You wait and see. There'll be a ton of gorgeous things to see once we've reached her." Jack cast off the boat, and began to row towards the Pearl.

Once they reached The Black Pearl, Jack climbed up and Karie followed suit. She had changed into a loose tunic and some breeches. Apparently, she had come prepared. That was just fine with Jack. It meant that he didn't have to find some clothes for her to change into.

As soon as they stood on deck, everyone on the ship stopped and looked at Karie suspiciously. Karie observed the architecture of the ship. She turned to Jack. "It still looks filthy," she said.

"You're looking at it from a landlubber's point of view," Jack insisted. Then he turned to face her fully. "Now, exactly where are we going?" He asked.

Karie shrugged. "Not sure exactly," she said. "Why don't you use that special little compass of yours?"

Jack eyed her suspiciously. Then he pulled out his compass and looked at it. It had a bearing of North, Northeast. Jack quickly snapped it shut when he saw Karie peering over his shoulder. He beckoned to a young woman with dark skin and black. He whispered something in her ear that Karie couldn't hear, then he waved his hands in an erratic manner and said loudly, "All hands, back to your posts. Prepare to cast off."

Just then, Mr. Gibbs came up to Jack. But before he could say anything, Jack pulled the little water skin from around Gibbs' neck and took a long swallow.

"Sorry, mate," he said as soon as he had finished drinking. "What was it you were going to say?" He handed Gibbs the water skin back and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Then he belched loudly.

Gibbs turned the little flask upside down and shook it. A single drop dripped onto the wooden deck. He shook his head. "Never mind, Jack," he said. "I was going to ask if ye were sober, but it seems that ye've already taken care of that."

Karie put her hands on her hips. "I thought I had made it clear when I gave you the remedy that it is an unwise thing to be constantly drunk," she said.

Mr. Gibbs took her by the arm and led her a little ways away. "That's just the way the Captain is, Missy," he said. "Sometimes, it's better if he's drunk. He seems to be much easier to get along with then."

"Well, I still say it's unwise," Karie replied, folding her arms across her chest. She glanced in Jack's direction. He was looking around and swaying drunkenly. He had drunken the entire flask, and it had been almost completely alcoholic. He swaggered his way to the helm and took it from a young woman with black hair and brown skin. She let him take the helm as though there wasn't a thing wrong with him.

"That may be," Gibbs replied. "But he's better off drunk then he is sober." Then Gibbs left her to attend to his duties.

Karie just stood there with her eyes narrowed at Jack. She didn't trust him. He was a scoundrel, and a drunkard. And he was also a pirate. She shook her head. She would never understand her uncle. He always seemed to take to the strangest people.

She knew that her uncle had instructed her not to mention who he really was, but it was a little difficult considering she disliked her uncle immensely. He was rotten, and only did things if he saw that he would get some personal gain out of it. The only reason he had sent her was because he was tired of her whining and he thought that maybe she might find something that enticed her in Tortuga.

But, of course, she would never have been enticed by anything in Tortuga. It was a place full of scoundrels and people with no discretion whatsoever. Over half the time the majority of the inhabitants were drunk.

If only Karie had known of her uncle's past, then she would have known why he was the way he was, and why he always took to the worst scoundrels of them all. If only she had known the truth, she probably would have stayed in Tortuga.

Just then, Karie felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see the young woman with dark hair and brown skin standing in front of her. She was wearing breeches and a white tunic. Of course, the tunic wasn't very white anymore, but it was obvious that it had been white at one point. The young woman didn't waste time on a greeting, other than her name.

"I'm Anna Maria," she said. "Seeing as you're a girl, it would be wise to bunk with me while you're here. The crew can get a bit antsy sometimes."

Karie nodded. "Thank you," she said. Anna Maria nodded her acknowledgment and left to continue her duties as a member of the crew. Karie grabbed hold of a railing as she felt the deck underneath her sway with cast-off. A nearby crewmember chuckled when she nearly lost her balance and had to hold onto the railing with both hands. She turned around to glare at him, but he had already moved on to get a hold of the rigging.

Seeing she was in the way, Karie wove her way out of the crowd of men and went up to the helm where Jack was standing, compass in hand, and turning the wheel occasionally. She stood a few feet behind him for several long moments.

"Are you going to just stand there and watch me steer?" Jack asked after a moment.

"I was waiting until you were less busy so I might speak to you," Karie replied.

**_Much too polite for a servant girl,_** Jack thought. Out loud he said, "Well, then you're going to have to stand there for several hours. My shift doesn't end until mealtime."

"Well, then," Karie replied, "perhaps I could ask you the question now?"

"You know," Jack said, turning the wheel slightly, "you don't need to ask to speak. You're not among royalty or noble-born people." He turned his head slightly to hear her reply better.

"I didn't realize that my being polite was making you uncomfortable," she said politely. "But it's just the way I was raised. I can't help it."

Jack didn't reply to that. Instead, he asked, "So what exactly is this artifact?" He glanced down at the compass in his hands. The beads in his dreadlocks clinked together faintly.

"I don't know," Karie replied, coming to stand a foot closer so she could better hear him. She was now standing close to the rail, but she was no longer behind him. She was almost directly across from him. She leaned against the railing, facing Jack. "Uncle Tim didn't say what it was. He only said that it was important that you get it, and no one else."

"I thought his name was Barnabas Rigby," Jack commented, turning his head slightly towards her. He raised an eyebrow.

"Who told you that?" She asked, looking across at the waves as they rolled underneath the ship's hull.

"The letter said his name was Barnabas Rigby," Jack replied, turning his attention back to the helm.

"Oh, uh," Karie stuttered. She tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "Um, well his middle name is Timothy," She said, nervously brushing some imaginary dust from her trousers. "I call him uncle Tim because it's easier than calling him uncle Barnabas. And because the name Barnabas sounds respectable and, well, educated." She leaned her arms against the railing. "Uncle Tim isn't exactly the most educated guy. I mean, sure he can read and write, but he's not exactly a scholar or anything like that."

"Sounds as though he likes, to pretend that he's something he's not," Jack commented.

"I don't know if he does or not," Karie replied. "Uncle Tim is a bit of a recluse. He doesn't really have much contact with the outside world, aside from selling some wares." Then she changed the subject. "What's going to be for supper anyway?" She asked.

"Whatever's available," Jack replied generally. "Sometimes someone makes something really elaborate, like a roast, but usually we get our meals whenever we have the time."

"You think a roast is elaborate?" Karie asked disbelievingly. "You're kidding, right? I mean, a roast has to be one of the easiest things to make. The hard part is the gravy."

"You can make gravy?" Jack asked. He turned his head to her and smacked his lips.

"Of course," Karie replied, as thought it were obvious. "Can't anyone on you're ship?"

"Nope," Jack said bluntly.

Karie rubbed her temples. "Where's the galley?" She asked, sighing heavily in annoyance.

"Ask Anna Maria to show you where," Jack said, and he turned the wheel slightly. Karie shrugged her shoulders and turned away from the helm. She headed for where she could just spot Anna Maria among the crew.

Jack shook his head. Her uncle's middle name was Timothy, eh? Well, that was just a little too obvious. She had definitely been lying. The question was, who was her uncle really?

**A/N: I hope you liked that. I know what you're thinking, but please keep all questions to yourselves. They will all be answered in due time. In the meantime, review please and let me know what you think.**


	5. The Dream

He's a Pirate

Chapter 5- The Dream

_**Jeremy smiled in his sleep. He was having a good dream. His dream was of him finding the perfect gift for his mother. The gift that Jack Sparrow hadn't been able to find. The locket.**_

_**Jeremy's mind brought him to a place where he had never been before. It brought him onto a ship, one of which he was captain. He ordered his crew about, but he couldn't really hear what he was saying. The crewmen scurried about the deck like mice. The ship rocked on the waves, and Captain Jeremy could see land ahead. Yes, it was the right place. He could feel it.**_

_**Jeremy ordered his men to weigh anchor. The anchor was let down and the clink, clink of the chain was music to Jeremy's ears. The sound meant that he had arrived at his destination.**_

_**He went down in a rowboat, but for some reason, none of his men were with him. He didn't care, though. He knew that they wouldn't be needed anymore. He landed on the strange island and pulled his rowboat onto shore.**_

_**He could see palm trees everywhere. He heard the sound of the branches rustling in the breeze. Then he heard what sounded like a young girl giggling. He looked around, but he couldn't see anything. Then he saw a young woman run past him and into the canopy of leaves. He followed her, feeling sure that she was the woman who had owned the locket.**_

_**He followed the sound of her laughter. It led him through dense foliage and past many palm trees. He climbed cliffs and went over hills, all the while following the young woman. All of a sudden, he saw her. She was not as he had imagined her to be. He had imagined her with long brown hair, but she had short, almost red hair. It didn't matter though. She was still the same woman. She had to be.**_

_**The woman's figure was almost transparent, and she was wearing a long, flowing white dress. Her green eyes winked at him. Her face then became mournful, and she pointed in a direction that led through more dense foliage. He asked her if he was to go in that direction. She just continued to point, and a single tear trickled down her cheek. Her arm fell to her side, and she went in the direction that she had pointed. Jeremy followed her.**_

_**After pushing aside some leaves and vines, Jeremy saw something that made his stomach curl. The bloody corpse of an old man lay alone in a clearing. The woman was kneeling beside the corpse and crying. Her wails could be heard throughout the island. For some reason, Jeremy felt somewhat responsible.**_

_**He looked down at the ground. That's when he saw what was in his hand. A sword. And it was bloody. In his other hand he held the locket that he had been longing for, for so long.**_

_**Tears stung his eyes, and his face grew hot with shame. Had he really done that? The evidence was in his hands. And the guilt was in his heart and on his face.**_

_**A mean little voice inside his head told him that he hadn't done anything wrong. He had only done what was necessary to get the locket. It wasn't his fault if the old man hadn't listened. The guilt and shame turned to purpose, and the need to explain himself, and apologize grew dimmer and dimmer until it was no longer there. Now, greed was in his heart, and anger in his soul. He no longer felt sorrow or pity for the weeping girl.**_

_**The girl turned her face towards him, and the look on her face nearly made him change his mind. Nearly. She had an utter look of defeat on her face. The tears ran freely across her cheeks, and her nose was red. It all seemed so real. He took a step forward, as though to comfort her.**_

_**But then the mean voice returned, this time even more hurtful than before. What do you think you're doing? It asked him. You actually feel sorry for her? She's just a girl. You're a weakling, you know that? Only a weakling would feel pity.**_

_**Suddenly, like a flash of lighting, Jeremy no longer felt anything except disgust for her. Only a weakling would cry. A strong person would accept it, and move on. A strong person wouldn't care. A strong person wouldn't let themself care. Only a weakling would care, the little voice whispered inside his head. The voice only needed to saw it once before Jeremy's mind caught hold of the lie, and unknowingly repeated over and over. His heart hardened. The locket was his now, it didn't matter anymore what some weakling woman thought. Or what anyone else thought. He had fought, and he had won. It was his now, by right.**_

_**Jeremy turned around to leave, but he was soon face to face with Captain Jack Sparrow himself. He was exactly the way Jeremy had imagined Jack to be. The pirate captain was tall and fierce with his black hair braided in dreadlocks and beads woven through them. The Captain wore a three-tiered pirate hat, just like Jeremy had pictured him to have, and his dark eyes burned with a hunger that Jeremy knew was not something he would ever want to encounter in himself.**_

_**Then, in the eyes of his enemy, he saw himself, and he saw the same hunger for what was rightfully his. This image of himself scared him, and he shut his eyes tight against it. But when he opened them again, his little voice had already changed his mind.**_

_**Now, Jeremy didn't care if it was Jack Sparrow who was in front of him. He didn't care if he was just as greedy as any pirate. He knew what was his, and the locket was his.**_

_**Jeremy raised his bloody sword, and stood in a fighting stance. He bared his teeth. No legendary pirate captain was going to frighten him. He felt powerful, he felt purpose, he felt need, and he felt greed. All of these selfish emotions flowed through him, and he allowed himself to absorb them, instead of releasing them and not letting them make a home for themselves in his heart.**_

_**Jack Sparrow raised his sword as well. The two enemies looked at one another. Both knew that this would be the last day for one of them. The only question was, who was going to be the one to die? Jack's eyes glinted, and he took a running leap, coming at Jeremy.**_

_**Suddenly, a piercing shriek broke through Jeremy's dream. What is it now? Jeremy thought. He wanted to finish his dream. He wanted to fight and defeat Captain Jack Sparrow, and make a name for himself. He wanted to bring the locket back to his mother and show her how much he loved her.**_

_**The shriek came again. Now Jeremy noticed something that he hadn't noticed before: He noticed the smell of smoke. Jeremy peeled open his eyes, removing himself from the dream. Smoke curled through his room, and the stench of wet wood that is trying to burn caught his nostrils. That, and another stench that made his stomach curl: The stench of burning flesh.**_

_**Fear like adrenaline raced through Jeremy's heart, and he sat up, coughing. He could hear his mother screaming his name. In his mind, Jeremy remembered his nightmare, and he couldn't get out of bed fast enough.**_

**A/N So suspenseful! I wonder what will happen next? Review, please and let me know what you think!**


	6. What's Cooking?

Chapter 6- What's Cooking?

Karie looked around the ship's gallery in disgust. She had never seen a filthier room in her life, aside from the main area of the bar where she had met Jack. She pushed aside some bowls and a mouse scurried out from under one. Screaming, Karie dropped a bowl. It fell to the ground and shattered. The mouse squeaked indignantly at Karie and scampered off.

After the initial shock, Karie realized that she had acted very immaturely. If she were to be seen as an equal on The Black Pearl, then she would have to develop a thicker skin.

Karie left the galley for a moment and, taking charge, ordered two of the crewmen, Pintel and Ragetti by name, to haul up some seawater for washing.

Grumbling, the two men followed her orders, but only because Anna Maria gave them both a pointed look that told them to obey or else.

After returning to the galley with two buckets of seawater, Karie pushed up the sleeves of her tunic and set to work clearing everything away and cleaning the place up. So long as she was aboard the Pearl, she demanded that her working area be spotless. At one point, Karie found a pair of old gloves. She shook out the dirt and mouse droppings from them. They themselves were very dirty, but they would protect her from the worst of the grim.

Karie worked for several hours, clearing away dishes, washing the dishes, and wiping the counters until she could almost see her face in them. By the time she was finished, her fingers were sore, her hands hurt, and she was smelly and sweaty all over. She knew that it would take several weeks at least for them to reach their destination, and she longed for that time to come more quickly. She had never before wanted a bath as much as she did at that moment.

She reminded herself that the crew aboard The Pearl got even fewer chances to shower than she did, so she shouldn't have been complaining. She knew that they would think her weak and an annoyance if she went about whining for a bath because she smelled. They would just tell her that they all smelled and she should learn to live with it. No, it would be better if Karie kept her mouth shut and didn't say one word of complaint.

After Karie had finished cleaning the kitchen, she went over to the pantry to see what there was for food. Hanging beside the pantry was a raggedy old apron. Karie put it on, despite the fact that it was horribly torn and smelled of mildew. Karie knew that she probably already smelled just as bad as the rest of the crew and she hated the idea. She looked around cautiously before carefully smelling her armpits. They stank, and she had stains under her arms. She wrinkled her nose, surprised that a human being could smell that bad.

Shaking her head, Karie took a look through the pantry. There wasn't much to eat. With a sigh, Karie stuck her arms inside the pantry and pulled out a few items. Maybe she could make a stew of sorts. She never liked eating stew herself, but she could make an okay batch. She thought for a moment before beginning. It was a good thing that she had thought about it before continuing, because otherwise she wouldn't have realized that the ship didn't have an oven. Oh, well, she thought. It would have been nice.

Pulling out something that looked like stale bread, Karie decided that it would be a lot easier to put that out with some salted pork than to make stew. She pulled out several bags of the stale bread, and searched the ship for some salted pork.

"Might as well make do with what I have," Karie muttered to herself. She had no idea how the salted pork was going to taste, and she hoped that the crew liked it. If they did, then perhaps they would be less inclined to want to throw her overboard. Some of the looks she had gotten that day were not exactly the friendliest. Others had been downright rude, and some were even creepy. But, she had to deal with it.

Karie went through some more of the cupboards and found, to her dismay, that there was nothing for spices anywhere. She was trying to make it a little more appealing, as she was sure that the crew hadn't had a good meal in a while, and she was also sure that they hadn't had much for variety either. But how was she supposed to make an appealing meal without spices?

Then, an idea came to her. She grabbed a cup and ran down to the hold, where all the goods were kept. She made sure to sidestep the sleeping Captain. How he had ended up there, Karie didn't know, but at that moment, she didn't care. He was probably making a very poor attempt at guarding the rum.

Karie hurried over to the barrels of goods, the wooden floorboards creaking annoyingly under her feet and making her jump every time she heard an ominous squeak. Opening the first container, Karie peered inside. There was nothing of interest there.

She had better luck with the second barrel. There, she found some curry. It would be just perfect for her cooking needs. Dipping the cup she had brought with her into the barrel, Karie filled it half full, and quietly closed the lid.

As she passed the sleeping Captain Jack, she got an idea. Just for fun, she sprinkled a little of the curry on his clothes and head. She took a whiff of what he smelled like. Better than what he had smelled like before, that was for sure.

Karie then crept back up the stairs and returned to the galley to start the fire.

The big, pot-bellied stove that stood in the middle of the galley did nothing to quell Karie's fears about not getting dinner ready in time, as it was ice cold, and it looked like a fire hadn't been started in it for ages. There was a large metal smoke stack that went up from it into the ceiling, and lead out into an opening in the front of the ship.

Wasting no time, Karie set to work, pulling out the tinderbox she had found earlier while searching for spices.

Shifting the half-burnt wood around in the stove, she picked up the two pieces of flint from the tinderbox and began to scratch them together. At first, nothing happened. Then, a spark flew. Excited, Karie stopped striking the two pieces of flint.

But the spark had failed to catch fire to the tinder.

Disgruntled and grumpy, Karie couldn't get the tinder to catch until her fourth try. When she finally did, she just held a small piece of charred wood from the stove to the tinder and waited until it caught flame. Once it did, she placed it back in the stove, and careful of the embers in the tinderbox, she quashed them. Then, she turned her attention back to the stove, blowing gently on the tiny flame inside to coax it into a blaze.

It took her ten minutes to get a proper blaze going, but once the task was done, the fire in the stove was soon roaring, sending heat emanating from it.

Then, after a moment's rest, Karie set to work on the salted pork. She filled a pan with some of the precious drinking water that was stored in the hold, and she set it on top of the stove. When it hit a boil, she set the salted pork in it, to cook it, and to get rid of all the extra salt that coated the meat. Every now and then, she would add some curry, along with a little bit of salt and pepper, which she had had to go back to the hold for.

Once the pork was fully cooked, Karie drained the water and drippings into a metal bowl she had set high above the stove to keep warm, so that, when it came time, it wouldn't cool off the drippings. Those would be for the gravy.

Karie set the meat in the now empty pot and put it above the stove so that it would stay warm. Then she turned her attention to the gravy.

Making a fourth trip to the hold, Karie returned with some flour, and she mixed it with some of the precious drinking water, making sure not to let it lump up. Then, once the mixture looked like a milky soup, she poured it into the pan of drippings that she had set on the stove to boil (which they were now doing in a frenzied fashion).

Time passed, and Karie glanced out the nearby porthole to see what time it was. It was getting late and the sun was sinking low on the horizon.

Karie stirred in the last of the flour-and-water mixture and continued to stir the gravy until it thickened. Once it did, Karie set it back in its place above the stove to stay warm.

Then, she went over and gathered enough hard tack (the stale biscuit that had been aforementioned) to feed the crew of the Pearl, and set it in a pot above the stove to warm it and soften it a bit.

That being done, Karie was finally able to stand still for the first time in hours. (You must remember that the process has only been summarized, and it truly does take a while.)

Glad for the chance to rest, Karie sat down at the small table and looked around the galley. It was indeed an improvement from when she had first seen it. The table was a little grimy, though. _Oh, well,_ Karie thought. _You can't have everything spotless._

Then she heard the galley door swing open. She turned around to see Captain Jack Sparrow standing in the doorway, just staring.

"What?" She asked, standing up and folding her arms.

"It's just," he stuttered. She had never seen him as baffled, or as serious, as he was at that moment. "I've never seen the galley look like this. Is that the counter?" He went over to the counter and dragged his finger across it. When he lifted it from the counter, there wasn't a speck of dust on it. He opened a cupboard and saw that it was neatly organized, with everything it its proper place.

"I hope you're not angry," Karie commented with something like concern in her voice. "I really wanted to be able to work in an area where I didn't have to worry about putting my hands in mouse droppings or anything of that nature."

Jack turned around as she was speaking. "I also wasn't sure what you and the crew would think when you found out that I had cleaned the place up." She paused nervously.

Jack sniffed once. Then, realizing that he smelled something good, sniffed again. He turned around and went over to the counter. He was just about to touch the salted pork when Karie came over and rapped his knuckles with a nearby wooden spoon.

"No eating until dinner time!" She ordered, pointing the wooden spoon in his Jack's face. Jack put his fingers in his mouth, not saying anything. "It's a surprise supper," Karie continued, "and I don't want to have to tell someone that they can't have some because a nosy little pirate captain couldn't keep his hands to himself." She put her hands on her hips in a very self-righteous manner.

Jack stood up to his full height. "Listen, mate," he said, "I really don't think that's for ye to decide." He swayed half-drunkenly on his feet. Karie glanced down at his person so as to assess whether or not she would need to deliver his supper to his room. She remembered what Mr. Gibbs had said, and decided that she would not bring it to him, unless the captain specifically requested that she do so.

"But it is," Karie argued with her hands on her hips. "If all goes well tonight, I will be the cook for the remainder of the time that I am on this ship, and I expect that you and the rest of the crew will respect my workplace. Unless, of course," she added, "you don't want any tonight, then I can just give you yours now. Besides, it's not completely finished cooking, so you might have some raw spots on yours. I've learned from my previous experience that you are never to serve something if it's not properly cooked. Otherwise, it could make the person eating the food extremely ill. Do you want to be ill?" Karie pointed the wooden spoon menacingly in Jack's face.

It was really somewhat amusing to see the short, redheaded, young woman threatening Captain Jack Sparrow with a wooden spoon. But Jack, not wanting to feel left out when everyone else was eating supper, decided that it wasn't worth the fight. He knew, though, that he would be able to get the first bite. If all went well, then the rest of the crew could eat and be merry.


	7. Fire!

He's a Pirate

Chapter 7- Fire!

**_Jeremy's lungs filled with smoke almost instantly. He coughed and spluttered, but it didn't do any good. He could hear his mother screaming, calling his name. Jeremy crawled out of bed and shot to the door. He opened the door and more smoke entered the room._**

_**He coughed some more, and tried to make his way out into the hall. His mother's screams were much louder now. Papa was away, so Jeremy was the man of the house right now. It was Jeremy's responsibility to help his mother out of the house.**_

_**Jeremy went down on all fours and crawled out of his room. His mother's bedroom was two doors to the left. He could make it. He had to make it.**_

_**Jeremy reached his mother's bedroom door in what seemed like forever, but really it was only a few minutes. He reached his hand up and turned the knob. The door flew open, and what Jeremy saw made him scream in terror.**_

_**His mother was standing on her bed, frantically beating at the flames with a blanket. She tried desperately to get to him, but the flames seemed to sense this, and they leapt up higher, preventing her from escaping.**_

_**"Mother!" Jeremy screamed. He stood and coughed smoke.**_

_**"Jeremy!" His mother screamed. "Get out of the house! Go! Get out! Leave now! Get out, Jeremy! Get out!" She continued to beat frantically at the growing flames. **_

_**Jeremy took one step forward to help his mother, when he stopped short. He saw the body of his father lying on the ground, his mouth open in a silent scream, the flesh melting away from his face. The whole of Jeremy's body shook with rage, fear, horror, and disgust.**_

_**"Jeremy!" His mother screamed again. Her nightgown had caught fire, and she was trying desperately to beat it out.**_

_**"Mother!" Jeremy screamed as the flames licked their way up his mother's nightgown. He ran into the room, and dodged past the flames, trying not to think of his father's body lying on the ground nearby.**_

_**The fire licked and twisted in pleasure when it caught hold of the drapes. It crawled its way up the fabric curtains and caught hold of the metal rings, heating them up, but not breaking them.**_

_**Jeremy raced towards the curtains and pulled on the ends. The scrawny-looking teenage boy was not as weak as he appeared, and with the help from the heated rings, the curtains fell to the floor in a heap.**_

_**Jeremy tossed the burning curtains over the body of his dead father and reached for the window. Smoke curled around the room, and he could hear his mother screaming. But he knew that he had to ignore his mother's cries, if for only a moment. He would not consciously admit it, but what he was about to do was far more important than his mother.**_

_**He knew that it had been a hot evening, so his mother had kept the windows closed. He threw open the window, allowing the smoke to make it's way out the window. Jeremy stuck his head out the window and screamed at the top of his smoke-filled lungs, "FIRE! SOMEBODY HELP! FIRE!"**_

_**In a couple of minutes, Jeremy heard the sounds of running footsteps, and within the matter of a few moments, there was a long line of people, buckets in hand, and they were throwing water on the fire.**_

_**The flames hissed and spluttered when the fire hit them, and the next moment, they attacked even more fiercely than before.**_

_**Jeremy turned around to help his mother, when he heard an ear-piercing shriek. His mother nightgown was covered entirely with fire, and she was trying desperately to remove the clothing, so as to save herself. And still, she thought of her son.**_

_**"Run, Jeremy!" She shrieked at the top of her lungs. But Jeremy knew he could not let his mother die. He raced forward, and in one great leap, he cleared the flames. He landed on the bed beside his mother. "Jeremy!" She screamed again. "Get out of here!"**_

_**"Mother!" Jeremy yelled. He tried to help her remove the flaming nightgown, but she pushed his hands away, wasting precious time.**_

_**"Get out of here, Jeremy!" She screamed at him. "That's an order! Get out!"**_

_**Suddenly, from behind, two strong arms grabbed Jeremy from behind and hauled him off of the bed, and out of his mother's room. He kicked and screamed, trying to help his mother, but the person holding only held tighter. The person dragged him out into the hallway and into the kitchen, where the flames where not as strong.**_

_**The fire must have originated in his mother's bedroom. She sometimes lit a fire there; in the fire pit that father had built for her. It only would have taken one spark to make it all go up in flames.**_

_**Jeremy was hauled out into the night and thrown roughly onto the ground. He just caught the glimpse of someone running back into the house, presumably to save his mother.**_

_**Jeremy looked up when someone put a blanket around his shoulders. A young girl of about his age stood there. She had reddish hair and green eyes. The shocking resemblance of this girl to the girl in his dream was so frightening, that Jeremy jumped to his feet, dropping the blanket. It was too warm for a blanket anyway.**_

_**Jeremy turned back to the house just in time to see the back area cave in. it was the area of the house that his mother's room was in. When the figure of a man came out, empty-handed, Jeremy knew the truth. He sank to the ground in despair. All he had ever know-had ever loved- was gone. He would never be the same again.**_

_**Then Jeremy remembered his dream about the fire, and his dream that had filled him with purpose. He never had been able to return home with the locket. He would find that locket, and he would use it for what he believed to be the most just cause of all of them: He would use it to get his mother back.**_

_**If there was one thing he knew, it was that Davy Jones knew those who had died at sea. Who better to talk to about the afterlife than the one person who knew the most about it?**_

_**A single tear trickled down Jeremy's cheek as he thought of his family, now gone forever. His mother, ever gentle and caring, Faithful in every way, she had helped him through all his struggles. He remembered falling down and cutting his forehead. His mother had soothed him with her voice, and sung a lullaby to him. He had fallen asleep before she had even finished cleaning the cut.**_

_**He remembered his father, always there to help him up that one last step. Careful and strong, kind and compassionate, his father had been someone who gave strength to others just with his presence. He remembered, as a child, putting his small hand into his father's large one. He remembered thinking that someday he would do the exact same thing with his own son. He would hold his son's hand, and he would think about when he had held his father's hand, and decided that he would be big and strong one day, just like his father. His parents would not be people that he would soon forget. They had been a big part of his life, and he had loved them dearly.**_

_**Jeremy stood up. He stared at the now-smoldering house. He would never come back here. He would never let himself come back here. It would only happen when he had found the locket and spoken to Davy Jones himself.**_

**_Jeremy closed his eyes. In his mind, he saw the locket in his hand, exactly as it had happened in his dream. Then he saw, just like in his dream, Jack Sparrow, menacing him. In his mind, he raised his sword and cut Jack Sparrow to pieces. Nothing would stand in his way. Nothing._**

A/N: I hope you liked that. It's getting more and more suspenseful as the story goes on. I hope that you are all enjoying it. Review, please and let me know what you think!


	8. Dinner is Served

He's a Pirate Chapter 8- Dinner is Served 

Karie peeked through the galley door at the men gathered outside it. They were all laughing and talking. She caught only snatches of conversation. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Anna Maria push her way through the crowd. Karie closed the door before anyone saw her. She didn't want them to get rowdy. At least, she didn't want them to become any more rowdy than they already were.

Getting to work, Karie pulled out all the plates, cups, and cutlery she could find. She set them out across the extended table. (She had placed two more medium-sized tables beside the small one that was already there.) She put beside each plate a napkin, and then she put on the table several jugs of ale. She had a large stash of her hangover remedy in the quarters that she was sharing with Anna Maria, so she was prepared to deal with the consequences of giving them ale. Unfortunately, it was either ale, or salt water. Since the salt water was, well, salty, and not fit for drinking, she had to give them ale. Especially since she had used enough of the precious drinking water for the meal itself. And because the men would probably prefer the ale, and because Jack was starting to guard the rum with his life.

Just then, the door opened and Anna Maria came in. She stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips, looking somewhat interested in what was going on.

Karie rushed up to her and shut the door behind her. "What's the big idea, coming in here like this and making the crew even more agitated than they already are?" She demanded angrily, shutting the galley door quickly before any of the men could slip inside.

"I thought ye could use some help," she said. "But it seems as though I was wrong." She looked around the room carefully.

"No, I don't need any help," Karie said, somewhat rudely. "I have the stew to check on, a crowd of rowdy men who don't understand the meaning of the word, 'patience', and a captain who's constantly drunk, and probably doesn't even remember my name." Karie took several deep swallows. She had nearly started hyperventilating. "Help," she whimpered as soon as she had gotten control of herself. Anna Maria gave a half smile and came over to help. Between the two of them, they finished setting the table and were able to get the meal onto the before the crew broke down the galley door.

Finally, with a nod from Karie, Anna Maria opened the galley door and called out, "Dinner is served!"

The men swarmed the entrance, trying to get in. they took their seats at the table, groaning, farting and grumbling. The stench of their sweaty bodies made it difficult to breath, and Karie had to stand near an open porthole for several minutes before she was able to stand up without needing to hold onto something.

Finally, all the men were seated. They continued to talk until someone said, "Where's the food? I'm hungry!" There were a bunch of choruses of "Hear, hear!" So, as soon as the captain was seated, the supper was served. Karie and Anna Maria brought the salted pork and hard tack out and put some on each plate.

Everyone looked at Jack, waiting expectantly for his approval to eat. Jack already knew that it would be good, because it smelled good, so he took his time cutting the meat, stabbing it with his fork (he pretended to not be able to do it the first time, and it took him three tries to actually get it on the fork), and putting it in his mouth. Then he chewed it slowly and thoroughly before nodding to the rest of the crew, signaling that the food was okay to eat. Cheers went up and the rest of the crew dug into the meal.

Pleased by the crew's reaction, Karie seated herself a little ways away from everyone else, and began to eat her own meal. No one seemed to notice that she was sitting at a completely different table than the rest of the crew. She ate in silence, pondering exactly what her uncle wanted to give Jack Sparrow, and occasionally listening in on the conversations of the crew. There were several complements made about the cooking, and that pleased Karie. It meant that they probably had some sort of respect for her because she had a skill that was useful on a ship like The Black Pearl.

Karie thoughts wandered to the subject of her uncle. She wondered what it was that he was going to give Jack. Perhaps it would be something that Jack didn't want after all, and perhaps it would be something that would give him and even bigger ego than he already had. Either way, it didn't seem as though it would mean anything to Karie.

"Whatcha doin', mate?" A voice asked from behind her. Karie jumped. She turned around to see Captain Jack standing behind her. It scared the crap out of her how quiet he could be. She quickly gathered herself together before responding.

"Eating my dinner," Karie replied coolly. She had noticed the Captain's increased interest in wanting to know where she was and what she was up to. She intended to put a stop to it then and there.

"Really?" Jack asked, eyeing her barely-touched plate of food. "Looked to me as though ye were staring at the wall." He smiled, revealing a row of rotting teeth.

"I really don't think that that's any of your business either way, Mr. Sparrow," Karie said, folding her arms across her chest.

Jack straightened up with a sigh. "It's Captain," he said, "Captain Sparrow." He sighed again and returned to his place at the main table. He shook his head and viciously stabbed at a piece of meat. Every time he tried to be friendly, she was always cool and aloof. I t made him furious!

Karie noticed Jack angrily jabbing at his food. **_What's his problem?_** She thought. She shook her head. Jack Sparrow was certainly a man with issues.

Anna Maria had witnessed the whole scene. She had seen Jack sweet-talk all kinds of women, and they had always given in. Karie was wise to discourage his attempts at wooing her. Anna Maria shook her head. It was a good thing that Karie was a smart girl. Nevertheless, Anna Maria would have to keep an eye on both her and the captain to make sure that Karie stayed out of trouble.

-

Jack lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling of his quarters. He closed his eyes, trying to let sleep take over. He sighed. He was tired, but no matter how hard he tried, sleep would not come.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Jack called. He sighed again and sat up. Anna Maria was standing in the doorway. "What's the problem, mate?" Jack asked. He ran his hand through his coarse beard. The beads in his hair clinked together faintly.

"I need to talk to you about Karie," Anna Maria said, coming in and shutting the door behind her. She pulled up a stool and sat down in front of Jack.

"What about her?" Jack asked, lying down on his bed again.

"I know when ye're trying to woo a girl," Anna Maria began, ignoring the preliminaries. "And I would be damned if I'm going to let ye ruin another young girl's life, just because she might take a fancy to you."

"I don't know what ye're talking about, mate," Jack said, turning his back to her.

"Ye know damn well what I'm talking about," Anna Maria said. Jack closed his eyes and pretended to snore loudly. Anna Maria stood up and snatched his hat off his head.

"Hey!" Jack exclaimed, jumping up off of the bed. "Give that back!" He lunged for the hat, but Anna Maria jumped out of his way.

"Not until ye swear not to touch Karie," she said, backing away from him. Jack chased her over to the open window. Anna Maria dangled his hat outside it. "Swear it," she threatened, "or ye can say goodbye forever to yer precious hat."

Jack threw up his hands in exasperation and defeat. "Fine!" He declared. Anna Maria looked at him pointedly. "I swear," he said.

"Ye swear what?" Anna Maria asked, expecting a full answer.

Jack sighed. "I swear that I won't touch Karie," he said. "I wouldn't think of it, luv."

Anna Maria looked at him warily and tossed the hat to him. He tried to catch it, but missed and it hit him in the face. Irritated, he picked it up and dusted it off. Then he set it on his head. Anna Maria made her way to the door.

"I'll be watching ye, Jack Sparrow," she said. "No funny business." Then she left the room, closing the door behind her.

"It's Captain," Jack muttered. "Captain Jack Sparrow." The he sighed and lay down on his bunk with his hat covering his eyes. After several minutes he reached under his bed to his secret stash and pulled out a bottle of rum. "Bottoms up," he muttered, and took a large swallow.

**A/N: I know, it's really suspenseful…not…okay, so this chapter wasn't really suspenseful. I promise that the next chapter will be more exciting. Review, please.**


	9. A Fool's Errand

He's a Pirate Chapter 9- A Fool's Errand 

The old man sighed as he sealed the envelope tight. He knew that it would take a while for them to arrive, but why did it half to take a month? He stood up with the envelope in hand, his bent old frame curving at the spine, and he hobbled out of his office. He made his slow and careful way to the stairs that curved upwards, towards the topmost tower of the mansion.

Leaning forward and with his back aching, the old man pressed a small piece of the wood beside the railing where the grain was slightly off. A small door swung open from under the stairs, and the old man stepped inside, being careful not to let the little door close behind him.

He sat down for a moment at a small table. He set the letter down and reached behind himself to rub his aching back. Then he picked the letter up again and pressed another small spot of wood on the wall above the table. A tiny space was revealed, just big enough for a few small items.

The old man set the envelope inside the little cubby. It leaned against a small box made of mahogany wood. It was simple, yet beautiful. It held an air about it that made the old man shiver. He remembered the story about the box and its contents.

He knew that he had to get out of the little room. He felt it in his bones that a storm was coming, and with it, something terrible. Just as the door to the little room was closing, there was a loud knock on the door.

A little girl ran up to the old man, and she clutched at his pants, her small face frightened. Her rosy cheeks were framed with thick reddish brown curls, and she whispered up to him, "Grandfather, there's someone at the door." She buried her face in his pant leg for a moment. "He frightens me," she whispered.

The old man put his hand on the little girl's head soothingly. "Do not worry, Rebecca," he said. "I will speak to the man, and he will go away." He sighed with age and weariness.

Then he said to the small girl, "Go to your playroom. If I do not come to you when the hand on the big clock it at the very bottom, very straight-" he demonstrated with his hand, holding it vertically with his fingertips pointed down, "-then I want you to **_quietly_** go over to the village and to the mayor's office. Then I want you to tell the mayor that I need his help, and his protection. Make sure that**_ no one_** sees you." The little girl nodded, and she dashed up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

The old man hobbled over to the front door. He leaned against the wall for a moment, trying to catch his breath. He could see the silhouette of the person at the door. He must be very large, the old man thought. Then, with a deep breath, the old man opened the door.

-

Karie sighed. She stood at the bow of the ship, staring out at the sea. Perhaps it would be a good day. Every day since The Black Pearl had taken off, Karie had had a fight with Jack. He seemed insistent on making her miserable, and she couldn't understand it.

She didn't hear the foot falls behind her until Jack spoke. "We'll be reaching port soon," he said. Karie turned to look at him.

"We can't be there already," Karie exclaimed. "Why, it took me a month to get to Tortuga alone!"

"We haven't arrived at yer uncle's, mate," Jack replied crossly. "I was talking about Port Royal."

"Why are we at Port Royal?" Karie asked just as crossly.

"Because, mate," Jack said, "there's someone here who's help I need, and I would appreciate it if ye'd be a little more understanding of me."

"You want me, to be more understanding of you?" Karie asked incredulously. "You must be joking! You're the one who's always being rude to me!"

If it wasn't for Anna Maria showing up right then, Jack would have gone back on his promise and he would have hit Karie.

"Land is in sight, Captain," she said, coming up and taking the wheel.

"Bring her in," Jack ordered, and he went off to his cabin to get another bottle of rum.

On his way there, he ran into Gibbs, and an idea came to him. "Gibbs," he said, "make sure we have a decoy."

"Decoy, Cap'un?" Gibbs asked. Jack nodded over to Karie. "It's a fool's errand, Cap'un," Gibbs said. Jack just waved a hand at him and headed for his cabin.

-

"I can't believe I'm actually doing this," Karie muttered as she adjusted the three-tiered hat on her head. Jack had been reluctant to let her wear his hat, so she had had to borrow Anna Maria's.

She was supposed to be impersonating a ship's Captain, namely the captain of the Black Pearl. It was to explain why the Pearl was docked at Port Royal. Unfortunately, Karie was much shorter than the average man. Still, though, she did look a lot like a pirate captain.

Karie had been practicing her "guy voice" for over an hour when Anna Maria called in that she had to leave.

"This is not what I had in mind when I offered to help," she said to Anna Maria.

The young woman grinned at her. "Ye look like a real pirate cap'un," she said. Then Karie was ushered off of the ship and into a little dingy. Anna Maria went with her and rowed the boat.

Karie was a nervous wreck by the time they tied up the boat at the dock. She couldn't help but be nervous, and she sweated profusely. She adjusted the collar. The jacket she wore stank, and was made of heavy wool.

Karie jumped off of the little boat and stretched her legs.

"Hey, you!" Karie jumped and turned to see the boat master towering over her. "It's a shilling to tie up your boat at the dock."

"Karie looked back at Anna Maria for help, but the young woman was watching out of the corner of her eye. Karie knew she would get no help that way. The stiff fake beard that she wore itched.

"Uh, uh," Karie said in a very deep voice that was not her own. She was sweating even more now than before. Suddenly, she remembered something that Jack had told her. He had given her money. "Uh, here," she said, and dropped a shilling into the boat master's outstretched hand.

"And I shall need to know your name," the boat master continued.

"Uh," Karie looked at the maroon colored jacket that the boat master wore. "Maroon," she said automatically. "Mr. Ahab Maroon," she cleared her throat and made it sound even deeper.

The boat master eyed her suspiciously for a moment before scribbling her fake name down into his book.

"You look a little young for a captain Mr. Maroon," the boat master commented.

"That's none of your business," Karie said automatically. "Me age is something I keep to meself, mate." Her attempt at sounding like a pirate didn't go very well. She thought that perhaps she should leave. Karie turned around and beckoned to Anna Maria. "Good day, sir," Karie said, and strode past the puzzled boat master.

A thrill of excitement rushed through her and she nearly shouted out loud. Instead she covered her glee with a false coughing fit.

"Ye did right," Anna Maria whispered. She had to lean down a bit, as Karie was shorter than she was.

"That was so cool!" Karie exclaimed in a whisper. "Did you see me? I actually fooled him! That was so cool!" She nearly jumped up and down.

"Calm yourself," Anna Maria hissed. "We need to be inconspicuous."

Karie nodded. "So, where to next?" She asked.

Anna Maria thought for a moment. Then she pointed to a large white mansion that was sitting on a hill. "That there house is where we need to go," she said.

"Whose house is that?" Karie asked.

"That is the governor's house, mate," Anna Maria replied.

**A/N: I hope you like that chapter. Sorry I haven't been updating a whole lot. And for those of you who read the story, A Gift for Charity, I probably won't update for a while because I'm really getting bogged down with homework.**


	10. The Turners

He's a Pirate Chapter 10- The Turners 

Karie looked behind herself for the third time since arriving in Port Royal. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following them. She and her pirate companion, Anna Maria, were off to get a friend of Jack's. Anna Maria had said that the man's name was William Turner. He's probably a pretty-boy, Karie thought.

She looked behind herself again, and barely caught a glimpse of someone hiding behind a wall.

"Is there something the matter that ye need to be constantly looking behind yerself, Cap'un," Anna Maria asked in a normal tone. Karie was dressed as a male ship's captain and she hated it. Anna Maria had come along just in case she needed extra protection.

"I think someone's following us," Karie whispered.

"Ah," was all Anna Maria said. Karie looked at her suspiciously, but said nothing. She knew when not to question the young woman who strode beside her.

-

The two young women arrived at the Governor's house about ten minutes later. Karie had looked behind herself at least three more times in those ten minutes. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were being followed, and Anna Maria wasn't any help to solve the matter.

"Knock," Anna Maria commanded. Karie knocked. Ever since she had told Anna Maria that there was someone following them, the other young woman had been distant and aloof. She wished that her friend would say something to make everything better. She had no idea if she'd done something wrong or not, and the older woman would not tell her. She would only say, "Not now," as though Karie were a child.

After the third knock, there was some shuffling sounds behind the door, and someone fiddling with the lock. Then the door was opened slightly and an older face appeared through a small crack.

"Who are you?" The face demanded. "What do you want?"

"My name is Mr. Ahab Maroon," Karie said, making her voice sound very deep. It wouldn't do to have her voice very high, especially since she was wearing a fake beard.

"Go away!" The face ordered. "We don't want any!" The door was slammed in the faces of the two annoyed women.

"Why, that-" Anna Maria broke off as Karie pulled off her fake beard. "What the hell do ye think ye're doing?" She demanded. Then Karie knocked on the door again, but this time much more gently.

The door opened a crack and the face peered at the two women. "Go away!" The face whispered. "It's not safe here!"

"My name is Karie Radcliff," Karie said gently. "I'm here to speak to a Mister William Turner. May I come in?"

The face eyed her suspiciously. Then, the door opened wider, and the two women saw that the face belonged to an older man with almost no hair at all. He had only a few white wisps of hair sticking from his scalp. He was obviously very old; his many wrinkles proved that. The old man beckoned the two women to come in. they stepped into the large mansion and the old man closed the door behind them. Then he put up one finger, signaling that he would be a moment. Then he hobbled away.

"How did you know that he would be more inclined to speak to you without the beard?" Anna Maria asked.

Karie turned to her friend and smiled. "This is an old jacket of Jack's," she said. "If there's one thing I know about Jack Sparrow, it's that he makes a lasting impression."

A moment later, two young people came into the room. One was a young woman with curled brown hair that was done up in an elaborate bun that fitted the currant style. She also had on a large dress that fitted the British fashion. The other person was a young man, who was also dressed in the latest fashion. He had a small beard growing at the tip of his chin.

"Are you William Turner?" Karie asked the young man she took a step towards him.

"I am," he replied.

"You!" The young woman exclaimed, pointing at Anna Maria.

"Oh, good, you've already met," Karie said quickly. "Then I shan't need to introduce you. I'll introduce myself, though. I'm Karie Radcliff." She stuck out her hand and Will took it, giving it a quick pump.

"Will Turner," he said. "This is my wife, Elizabeth." He gestured to the young woman who was gazing at Anna Maria and Karie suspiciously. "What's going on?" Will looked from Karie to Anna Maria and then back again. Karie then realized that he was staring at her pirate captain's disguise.

"Oh," she said, and she blushed a little in embarrassment. "We, that is, Anna Maria, Jack and I, thought that it be best if I went around in costume."

"Jack?" The woman asked. "Jack Sparrow?"

Yes, Jack Sparrow," Karie replied. "But let me finish." She looked around, suddenly tired. "Is there somewhere where we can sit down?" She asked.

Elizabeth, suddenly remembering her manners, nodded and led the two women, with Will following behind, into the parlor. Karie sat down in a plush armchair and sighed contentedly.

"Much better," she murmured. Will looked at her with a confused expression on his face, and Elizabeth smiled awkwardly. "Sorry," Karie said. "It's just that I haven't sat down on a proper chair in several weeks. It does horrible things to the behind." Her face flushed almost immediately, suddenly realizing what she had said.

Elizabeth laughed uncomfortably and Will sat down across from Karie. "Just tell us why Jack is here," he said, uncomfortable with the idea that Jack Sparrow could show up at any moment.

"Well," Karie began, "you see, there is this thing that my uncle wants to give Jack-don't ask me why, I myself don't know-and Jack seems to think that there will be a lot of danger involved, although I don't agree with him. So, you see, he has asked me to come here to ask you to come and help him." She sighed and crossed her legs. "I myself don't understand that man, but it is what it is, and it can't be helped," she said.

"Jack specifically asked for me?" Will queried, raising his eyebrows inquisitively. Karie nodded, and Will looked at wife with a concerned expression on his face. Elizabeth had a determined look on her face.

"No," he said to her unspoken question. The young woman sitting beside him crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yes," she replied. "I'm coming, too."

"Absolutely not," Will declared. "Do you want to risk to lives just to satisfy your thirst for adventure?"

Then, with a shock, Karie noticed something that she hadn't noticed before. Elizabeth had a slight paunchiness to her stomach that told Karie something very important: She was with child.

Elizabeth hung her head in defeat, knowing that her husband was right. She couldn't go off on an adventure and endanger the child that was growing in her belly. Will saw her relent, and he turned back to Karie and Anna Maria.

"I'll come," Will said, "but first I want to know what this thing is that Jack wants so much."

"You'll have to ask Jack that," Karie replied.

**A/N: I hope you all liked that. I know that it's a little shorter than normal, but I have very little time nowadays to type/write. My homework load is horribly heavy, so I have to make sure that I finish my homework first before I do anything else. Review, please.**


	11. The Silent House

He's a Pirate

Chapter 11- The Silent House 

Jack paced up and down on the deck of the Pearl. He was tired of waiting for Karie and Anna Maria, and following them hadn't done any good either.

"Slow down, Jack," Gibbs advised, leaning against the railing of the pirate ship. "They'll be here soon enough." He took a swallow from the little bottle that hung from a cord around his neck.

"Soon enough is not soon enough," Jack said. Gibbs looked at him with a confused expression on his face, but Jack didn't bother to explain any further. Gibbs continued to try and figure out what Jack was saying, but didn't have any luck.

Just then, Karie and Anna Maria returned with William Turner. They climbed on board and Karie took off the fake beard, crying out as the glue ripped at her upper lip. She threw the fake beard and the pirate hat at Jack.

"I am never doing that again!" She said angrily to him. "These clothes stink more than you do, and that beard is so itchy that I think it gave me fleas! Next time, get someone else to do your dirty work!" She tore off the jacket so that she was wearing just her tunic and pants. Pintel could be heard whimpering somewhere. Karie threw the jacket on the ground in front of Jack and stomped off, presumably to the cabin that she shared with Anna Maria.

"What's wrong with 'er, mate?" Jack asked Anna Maria.

"I don't know, Captain," Anna Maria replied in a mocking tone. "Why don't you ask 'er?" She strode off in the direction that Karie had gone. Jack stared after her for a moment.

"Bloody women," he muttered to himself. Then he turned to Will. "So, Mr. Turner," Jack began, "what say you we cast off, eh?"

"Not until you tell me what this item is, Jack," Will replied. "Last time you wanted my help, Elizabeth and I nearly ended up dead."

"Now, that's a secret, mate," Jack said. Then he strode over to Gibbs and whispered something in his ear. Will followed Jack, making sure that the pirate Captain wasn't plotting against him again.

Gibbs nodded and began shouting orders for the crew to cast off. In a few minutes, the ship began to move, and they slowly left Port Royal behind. Will looked at the place where his wife was. He felt a little sad as he remembered that he promised he would take dancing lessons with her that weekend. It seemed as though fate had other plans for him. Thank you, Fate, Will thought.

-

Karie lay on the top bunk in the room that she shared with Anna Maria, staring at the ceiling. She heard a knock on the door, and the next moment, her roommate came in. The young woman started to rummage around in one of the drawers of the little chest that stood beside the bunk.

"Yer in a lot of trouble, missy," Anna Maria said after a moment.

"What do you mean?" Karie asked.

"Ye're laying on me bunk," she replied. "Get off."

With a sigh, Karie jumped off of the top bunk and climbed into the bottom one. She pulled the covers up to her neck and closed her eyes.

"Almost time for dinner," she heard Anna Maria murmur. "Shouldn't ye be preparing the supper, mate?"

"Let Jack do it," Karie replied. "The great Captain Jack Sparrow can defeat any number of things. Let him make the supper." She turned over onto her side and faced the wall. "Besides," she continued, "I'm not hungry, anyway." She heard Anna Maria slam a drawer closed and leave the room. Karie sighed and shrugged to herself as she heard another door open. She closed her eyes and let sleep envelope her.

-

The old man hobbled over to the door and opened it. On the other side, clothed in his usual pirate garb, was the man that he had been dreading to see for the past three weeks. The man - with his reddish-brown beard and hair, and his gleaming brown eyes that glittered with greed - was a fearsome sight. The old man shivered to know that this man was here to see him.

The pirate pushed past him, shoving the frail old man into the wall. The door slammed behind him, and he strode into the parlor, leaving a trail of mud behind him. The old man followed close behind.

Suddenly, the pirate turned around to face the old man, "Where is it?" He demanded in a loud voice that made the old man shiver in fright.

"I-I-I got rid of it," the old man stuttered nervously.

"What?" The pirate asked quietly. Somehow, this quietness was much more menacing than when he yelled.

"I-I couldn't handle the pressure, so I gave it away," the old man lied, scared out of his wits, but still unwilling to tell the fearsome pirate the truth. That's when the old man noticed that the pirate had his hand on the hilt of his sword. The old man swallowed loudly and backed away from the pirate.

"I'll teach you to mess with Captain Jeremy Finch, mate," the pirate Captain whispered, and the old man whimpered in fright.

-

From a balcony high above the heads of the two men, little Rebecca watched as the pirate threatened her grandfather. She whimpered quietly. Then, she saw the scene unfold in slow motion. She saw her grandfather hold up his hands in defense. Then she closed her eyes, ran upstairs to her room, and hid in her closet.

-

Karie sighed for the umpteenth time and stamped her feet to warm them. Her breath came out in wisps of hot air, and the small jacket that Anna Maria had lent her didn't help to chase away the cold night air. Karie was surprised at how cold it had become since she had been there last.

Jack turned to Karie. "Are you sure this is the place?" He asked, swaying a little. The beads in his beard seemed to have almost frozen together. "I mean, this is a far cry from the Caribbean, luv."

"I think I would know my own house, thank you very much," she replied crossly, and she blew hot air on her hands to warm them. It had taken a long time to get to Barnabas Rigby's home, but they had finally arrived.

"Well, then, knock," Jack said, making incomprehensible gestures that suggested he was drunk.

"You knock," Karie retorted rudely. She was tired of having to be on the same ship with Jack Sparrow for a month. The man was a pig, and had no discretion whatsoever. While Karie had been talking with Elizabeth, the young woman had told Karie that Jack was just like that; that it was his nature. Karie didn't think so.

Anna Maria put a warning hand on Jack's arm when he looked like he was going to hit Karie. Then, with a shrug that made Anna Maria let go of his arm, Jack reached over and knocked loudly on the large wooden door. There was no reply. Jack shrugged again. With a loud and obvious sigh, Karie came over, pushed Jack aside, and knocked repeatedly on the large door.

"Uncle Tim!" She called. "Uncle Tim, it's me!" She sighed. "Dammit, where is he?" She muttered to herself. She continued to bang on the door. "Uncle Tim! Rebecca! Uncle Tim!" She turned to Jack, Anna Maria, Gibbs and Will Turner. "I guess they went out. I can't think of any other reason why Uncle Tim wouldn't answer the door."

"I don't suppose ye have a key?" Gibbs asked.

"No," Karie replied. Then she seemed to perk up a bit, because she turned her back to the three men (and Anna Maria) and bent down in front of the door.

"Come on," she muttered. "Where is it?" Then she seemed to have found something, because she let out a yell of triumph, and produced a small key from under the mat.

"Good job, mate," Jack said. Karie thought that he sounded a little more drunk than usual.

Karie nodded, slightly surprised, but not that concerned. She stuck the key in the lock and turned it to the right. There was a faint click, and with a slight push, the large wooden door creaked open. The silence that greeted the group was neither friendly, nor comforting. It was an eerie silence. The whole group shivered, but not because of the cold. Karie was frightened by what she might find, and didn't want to enter. At least, she didn't want to be the first to enter. Unfortunately, that must have been the same thing that Jack was thinking, because he came up behind her, pushing her forward and into the silent house.

A/N: I hope you all liked that. Mysterious, eh? Review, please, and let me know what you think.


	12. A Horrible Discovery

He's a Pirate Chapter 12- A Horrible Discovery 

Karie crept into the house with Will right behind her, Gibbs behind him, Anna Maria behind Gibbs, who was followed warily by Jack. He looked behind the door, and then up the nearby stairs.

"Hullo?" He called. Only an echo of himself answered. "I think it's deserted, mate," Jack remarked to Karie.

"No, duh!" Karie replied irritably. Jack folded his arms and his face took on a hurt expression. Karie ignored him until he shrugged and kept on following the others.

"Did yer uncle ever say something about leaving for town?" Gibbs asked, trying to think logically.

"No," Karie replied flatly. She began to turn a corner. The others were looking behind some furniture in the entrance hall. "I don't understand it," Karie began, taking a few more steps. "He said tha-" her voice broke off and she uttered a shocked, gurgling sound. Anna Maria was there in seconds. She too stopped and gasped at the sight that lay before them. One by one, the other three came over and they each in their turn gasped at the horrific sight that was spread out on the ground in front of them.

An elderly man, or what was left of him, was lying on the ground in a crumpled heap. His body had been mutilated, and what was left of it was twisted into an odd position. His left arm, or half of it, was twisted all wrong so that it was obvious that the bone was broken. The old man was covered in blood that had poured from a gaping wound in his stomach. His face was set in an expression of surprise and horror. As the companions watched, a last few trickles of blood dripped from the open wound.

"Mary, mother of God," Gibbs swore.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Karie muttered, and she leaned over an urn and heaved her breakfast into it.

"What kind of creature could have done this?" Will whispered.

"Not an animal, I fear," Jack muttered to himself. Unfortunately for him, the others heard and soon they were barraging him with questions.

"You have been dragging us on this stupid quest for something that we know nothing about!" Anna Maria shouted in his face and she snatched his hat off of his head.

"Alright, alright!" Jack exclaimed, nearly hitting Anna Maria over the head because she wouldn't give him back his hat. Finally, she handed it back to him. "I'll tell ye what the thing is if ye'll shut up for a minute." Everyone became quiet.

Gibbs came over to stand in front of Jack with his hands on his hips. "So, Jack," Gibbs began, "What is this thing that ye won't tell us and has ye risking the lives of others?"

Jack sighed heavily and finally relented. "I once met a man who told me the tale of a young woman whose lover was lost at sea," Jack began. "Before he left, her lover had given her a locket with his picture in it so she could remember what he looked like."

"Sounds as though he was a vain fellow," Karie commented. Jack gave her a death glare, and she fell silent.

"Unfortunately, along with her husband, she lost her wits and wouldn't leave her post at the peak where the lighthouse now stands in Tortuga," Jack continued and he sighed again. "In the end, the woman threw the locket into the sea and cursed the waves for stealing her lover away from her.

"Tis a very touching story, Jack," Gibbs remarked. "But what does that have to do with us.

"Well," Jack said, coming over to the body of the old man, "This man was the man who told me that story. I believe he wanted to give me the locket."

"Why would my uncle want to give you a locket that could control the sea?" Karie asked.

"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, mate," Jack said, coming over to her and breathing his hot, smelly breath in her face. She cringed in disgust. "Savvy?" He asked. Karie nodded, and Jack stepped away from her. He turned to the body of the old man.

He shook his head sadly as he gazed at the mutilated body with mixed expressions of disgust and pity. "Poor old Tim never saw it coming," he said. "I didn't know he had a niece, though," he added, looking up at Karie with an almost child-like curiosity that made Karie a little nervous.

"Two nieces," Karie corrected, trying not to look at the horribly bloodied and battered body lying on the ground only a few feet away. "There's also my sister, Rebecca."

Then, suddenly she gave a cry and ran from the room. Before the other four companions had time to blink, they could hear Karie's footsteps pounding on the stairs. They could hear her calling her sister's name.

After several minutes, Karie came trudging back down the stairs, alone. There was no little girl by her side. Karie's face was very still, and no emotion registered in her eyes. She seemed lost to the world. Then, as though she was waiting for the right time, there came a muffled call. Karie instantly perked up, and began calling for her sister.

"Why not just ask the girl where she is?" Will asked.

"Because I can't hear her very well," Karie replied as she passed the doorway to the room where the other four people were waiting.

Then she came back and stuck her head in the door. "Are you guys going to help me, or what?" She asked. Reluctantly, Gibbs, Anna Maria, and Will followed Karie out of the office. Jack pretended to follow them, but then doubled back and returned to the room with the body. He began to search the drawers of the big wooden desk that sat in front of a large window. The locket wasn't there.

While Jack was looking for the locket, Karie and the others were looking for Rebecca. They searched everywhere, but they couldn't seem to find the little girl. Finally, after an exhausting search, Karie remembered the cubby. She ran to the stairs and tried to move a table that stood beside it.

"What is it that ye're looking for?" Anna Maria asked as she, Gibbs, and Will came up to Karie.

"Help me move this," Karie ordered in reply. Gibbs shrugged and he, Will, and Anna Maria helped Karie to move the table. "Rebecca?" Karie called. "Rebecca, are you in there?" There came a muffled reply, and Karie sighed in relief. "She's in there," she said to the others. Karie turned to the others. "Close your eyes," she said.

"What?" Anna Maria asked, confused.

"Close your eyes," Karie repeated. "I'm going to open the door and I don't want anyone to know how I did it."

Gibbs gave a loud sigh. "Better do what she says or we'll be here all day," he said, and he closed his eyes. After a moment, Anna Maria and Will closed their eyes as well. Karie turned her back to them and pressed the little square of wood that was beside the door. The door swung open, and Rebecca jumped into Karie's arms.

**A/N: I hope you guys liked that chapter. I think that this story is going to be a very long one. I know that it doesn't seem like it, but it will be. Review, please!**


	13. The Letter

He's a Pirate

Chapter 13- The Letter 

While the others were helping Karie find her sister, Jack was searching the house for the locket. He cursed and swore under his breath when he opened a drawer that did not contain the mysterious locket.

Suddenly, he heard a sound from behind him. He whirled around to face Karie, Anna Maria, Will, Gibbs, and a little girl with brown curls who looked to be about five or six years old. The little girl was holding Karie's hand, and she buried her face in the older girl's trouser leg.

"What do you think you're doing?" Karie demanded, letting go of the little girl's hand and coming over to Jack with her arms crossed. Jack thought for a brief moment before deciding what to say.

"What do ye think I'm doing, exactly?" He asked.

"Don't avoid the question," Karie replied, taking another step forward.

"I think we all know what he was doing," Will said, stepping forward, and then turning to the others. "He was trying to find the locket and take it for himself. Then, when we weren't looking, he would've left without us." Will turned to Jack. "Isn't that right, Jack?" He asked.

"Certainly not," Jack replied vehemently. "Anna Maria and Gibbs are just about the only people on the Pearl who have any sense."

"I couldn't agree more," Karie said seriously.

"Well, thank ye, Jack," Gibbs smiled to reveal several rows of rotten teeth. "But I think we'll be leaving with the others as well."

"Of course," Jack said, and he gave a forced smile that showed how irritated he was.

"Besides," Karie continued, "We found this." She held up a letter. "It says that the locket now belongs to me, and I can do with it what I please," she said. Then she pulled out a beautiful gold locket from around her neck. "I think that this thing should be disposed of immediately," she said.

"No!" Jack cried. "Don't do that!"

"And why not?" Karie asked, looking a little irritated.

"Because, you're uncle wanted me to have that there little trinket, and it's crucial that you follow through with his wishes," Jack said.

Karie looked for a moment as though she was pondering this suggestion. Then she turned to Jack and said, "Uh, no."

Jack's face took on a despairing look, and he looked as though he were going to beg for it, but then he seemed to straighten up, and he said in a loud voice, "Well, then I guess we should be off."

"Just as soon as I leave Rebecca with our neighbors," Karie replied. Then she added, "And I'm keeping the locket with me." She put it back around her neck and took the little girl's hand.

Jack saw Rebecca looking at him and he smiled broadly at her. She seemed to be a little frightened of him. But the next moment, she stuck out her tongue and followed Karie out of the room.

"Jack, I had thought that this was beyond even you," Will said in comment as he passed the pirate captain on his way out the door. "But it seems I was wrong." Then Will left the room, followed closely by Anna Maria. Gibbs hesitated a moment before shrugging his shoulders at Jack in an apologetic manner and following the other two people out of the room.

Jack made some grumbling noises about how life was so unfair to good pirates like himself. Then, after a moments silence, he followed the other out of the room. He saw Karie through the window. She was talking with Will. Jack opened the front door and left the house. He closed it behind him.

As Jack came up to Karie and Will, he saw Karie holding the locket. He snuck up behind her, meaning to give her a fright and perhaps be able to steal the locket from her, but Will noticed his presence and warned Karie before Jack could do anything of the sort.

"Well, Jack," Karie said. "My sister is with our neighbor, so I don't need to worry about her. Will and I have both decided, along with Gibbs and Anna Maria, that it would be a good idea for me to come along with you and find this man who killed my uncle." She looked at Jack challengingly.

"Lovely," Jack said sarcastically. "Actually, though," he continued in his usual drunken manner. "I was thinking that I would just take that little locket-" Jack tried to snatch the locket from Karie's hands, but she pulled her hand away so that he clutched at empty air. Jack pulled his hands away and looked a little forlorn. "And then go off in search of someone who needs to be taught a lesson," he finished lamely.

"So you can lose my locket, or worse, use it for your own selfish purposes?" Karie asked. "I don't think so, _Captain_."

"Ah, well," Jack said, "It was worth a shot." He smiled, but Karie didn't smiled back.

"Beware, Jack Sparrow," she said in an ominous voice. "You are not the only one here who is willing to brave the seven seas." Her face was a mask of seriousness, and her words sent a chill down Jack's spine.

After a quick frown, Jack smiled and nodded to Karie. Then he strode past Will and headed, in his usual gait, towards town.

"Where are you going?" Karie called after a moment.

Jack turned around, and walked backwards. "To the local tavern," he called back. "Where else?" Then he turned back to face forward, and continued walking.

Karie frowned and turned to Will. Will shrugged in a way that said he didn't really understand it either, but wasn't going to bother asking anyone to explain, and that she should do the same. Karie decided to follow his unspoken advice, and ignored Jack's tendency towards alcohol.

Instead, Karie decided to put the time that she had to good use. She opened the letter that her uncle had placed with the locket. Will raised his eyebrows at her questioningly.

"I have a right to the locket more than he does," Karie replied defensively to his unspoken question.

"I never said you didn't," Will said, holding up his hands in a defensive maneuver.

"You were insinuating it in the way that you were looking at me," she replied matter-of-factly.

"Well," Will commented, "You did tell him that the letter had said you were to have the locket. You were obviously lying, seeing as how you haven't even opened the letter. Don't you think that Jack deserves to know, at least, what the letter really says?" He raised one eyebrow questioningly.

"You obviously don't know Jack as well as you say you do," Karie replied. "Why do you think he wants the locket?" She asked sarcastically. "So he can wear it around his neck, at look at the picture inside? And, by the way, the picture is of a man. So, unless you think that Jack is a homosexual, which, by his actions, I would assume otherwise, I suggest you drop the subject."

Then, Karie sat down on the front step of the house and began to open the letter. She tore open the seal of the envelope, and pulled out the single sheet of paper that was inside. She unfolded the paper and began to read what it said:

_Dear Karie,_

_Captain Jack Sparrow,_

_I am writing this in haste. I have no idea how long it will be before he comes to claim his prize. And when he cannot find it, he will kill me. I have already arranged with our neighbors that they are to take in Rebecca until such time as Karie is fit to take care of her. In the meantime, I must tell you a secret that I only recently discovered. The locket is not the thing that will control the seas. (Sorry to disappoint you, Jack.) It is merely a piece of a complicated puzzle. The locket is the key to the riddle that will help you change something that happened in your life that was monumental, whether it be good or bad._

_I can't tell you much more because this letter needs to end quickly. I only hope and pray that you will avoid him at all times. The person I am talking about is a pirate captain, like yourself, Jack, but he is much different. He wants revenge against you. Don't ask me why, I myself do not know, but what I do know is this: he will stop at nothing until you are dead, and the locket is his._

_One last thing, I am sorry to have to tell you this now, my dear, but I was once a pirate, and that is how I know Jack Sparrow. He was the most trusted member of my crew, when I was still roaming the seven seas. Afterwards, I changed my name to Barnabas Rigby, but my real name has always been Timothy Marks. I hope you'll forgive me._

_I hope that you will take my advice, and find some way of destroying the locket, or else solve the puzzle, and stop this pirate captain from killing Jack._

_In haste, _

_Timothy Marks_

**A/N: I hope you liked that. Please review!**


	14. For Your Information

He's a Pirate

Chapter 14- For Your Information 

"What does the letter say?" Will asked earnestly. He was obviously eager to know the contents of the letter.

Karie handed him the letter and waited while he read it. As he read the close-knit handwriting, Karie waited with baited breath to hear what he had to say on the matter. After he finished reading it, Will made a puzzled look that turned to a look of disgust. He threw the letter on the ground. Karie picked it up and put it back in the envelope, tucking it into her shirt.

"Well?" She asked.

"Your uncle sounds almost as bad as Jack," Will commented. His comment, though, was not helpful.

"What do you think I should do?" Karie asked him. Will was silent. "I have to find Jack and tell about this," Karie said, suddenly realizing how serious the situation was.

She stood up and made to go down the way that Jack had gone, but then realized something very important: There was more than one tavern in the nearby town. There was no way that she would be able to find him before he drank until he dropped like a stone, and then returned to the Pearl. In her mind, Karie went through the scenario, and came to the same conclusion, whether she found Jack or not. There was no way that he would be in his right mind to remember her, and he would leave her behind.

There was no way that she was willing to be left behind. She needed to solve the puzzle, the way her uncle had told her to. She needed to because, if she did, then it was possible that she could get her heart's desire.

"I think we better wait until he comes back from the tavern," Will said. He held out his hand and helped Karie to her feet.

"Maybe you're right," Karie said, brushing herself off. "The only solution would be to wait until tomorrow morning, when Jack is more likely to be willing to listen." Karie began to walk back to the beach, where Gibbs and Anna Maria would be waiting.

"If there's one thing I know about Jack Sparrow," Will said, following her, "It's that he will always listen when his life is on the line."

"What else would you expect?" Karie asked rhetorically. "He's a pirate. There nothing a pirate, especially a pirate such as Jack, cares about more than his life." After a pause, Karie reconsidered this statement. "Well, except for his booty," she added. Will smiled knowingly, and wisely said nothing.

-

Jack stumbled onto the deck of the Pearl in a drunken stupor. He stroked the wood of the railing and murmured something about loving the Pearl. He stumbled over to where a lantern hung from a metal rod. He peered at the flame, entranced. He slowly reached his fingers towards the flame, and passed his fingers through the flame. It took him a moment to feel the searing heat of the lantern flame.

"Ouch!" He exclaimed louder than necessary, and pulled his hand back. He sucked on his fingers to cool them. Then, after a moment's pause in which nothing was accomplished, he stuck the fingers of his other hand into the flame. This time the pain came quickly. He yanked his hand away, yelping in pain and waving his hands around while jumping up and down and turning around in a circle.

Karie stood three feet away from him, but he didn't seem to notice her. "Nice dance," she commented, making Jack stop in his tracks and look around. Karie took two steps forward so Jack could see her better. "Did you make that up just now?" She asked. "Or have you been practicing it for the last four hours?" The last question was rhetorical, and had just a touch of the anger that she was feeling.

Jack made like he was bowing to a grand lady, and he took off his hat in the process. Karie raised one eyebrow and tilted her head to the left slightly in an irritated and questioning manner.

"Well now, luv," Jack began, taking a few steps towards her, "There is a long answer to that, and a short answer. Whish would you prefer?" He hiccupped.

"The truth," Karie replied, taking a step back. She didn't like the way that Jack was looking at her.

"Well, now that washn't one of the choices, wash it?" he asked, his tongue thick and heavy from drinking rum for the past four hours.

"I have something important to tell you," Karie began, taking a step towards Jack so she wouldn't have to yell.

"Heh?" Jack asked, obviously not hearing her. Apparently she was going to have to yell, whether she wanted to or not.

"I said, I have something important to tell you," Karie repeated, raising her voice slightly. Jack leaned forward and Karie took two steps back, on the off chance that he decided to throw up right when his head was above her face.

"Well, then, out with it!" Jack said, making incomprehensible gestures with his hands.

"The letter," Karie began, watching – by the light of the lantern – as Jack wandered around the deck in the dark. He banged into things and cursed loudly. "The letter," Karie repeated, louder now and more insistently, "The one from my uncle. It had some information that I think you should be privy to."

Jack wandered over to the opposite railing from whence he had climbed over, and peered down at the water. The light of the moon glinted off of the shining water, and Jack stared at it in wonder, with his arms hanging over the side. The next minute, he was vomiting violently into the seemingly clear water.

Karie wrinkled her nose in disgust and waited until he was finished. Jack straightened up, and staggered over to her, his hand over his forehead. "I think I could use some of that remedy of yours right about now," he said, and fell backwards with a loud thump on the deck of the Pearl. He began to snore loud enough to wake the dead.

Just as Karie was thinking this, and pondering how to get him into his cabin, Gibbs came up to relieve her of watch. He took one look at Jack, curled up in the fetal position, and had a good hearty laugh. As he wiped away tears of mirth, he helped Karie bring Jack into his cabin. Once he was on his bed, both people left: Karie to the kitchen to prepare some of her hangover remedy, and Gibbs on deck, to keep watch.

-

Jack woke up with a pounding headache. The gentle rocking of the ship made Jack's stomach feel like that of a landlubber during a violent sea voyage. He lay in bed for a moment, immobile. His hat was still on his head. That, at least, was some comfort, but not enough to make the pain go away.

Jack gathered his courage and hauled himself up into a sitting position. The room swayed, and the pirate captain knew he wouldn't be able to stand for some time.

Just as Jack was about to call for someone to bring him a pail, the door opened. Karie came in, remedy in hand, and shoved him violently back down onto his back. She was obviously mad about something.

"Not sure I deserved that," he muttered to no one in particular. Karie didn't answer, and began to pour a mug of the brownish, sweet-smelling liquid that had cured his hangover the last time he had been at a tavern.

Jack got himself back up into a sitting position. Karie pushed her hand against his chest, shoving him back down onto his bunk.

"Ye know, mate," Jack said, glancing at the door to make sure Anna Maria wasn't there. He touched his hat to make sure it was securely on his head. "Ye don't need to go to all this trouble, just to get me in bed." He smiled an almost toothless grin.

Karie stood over him with the pitcher of hot liquid. "Unless you want me to pour this scalding hot liquid on you, I suggest you shut your mouth," she said in a menacingly quiet voice.

Jack whimpered a little, but he shut up. Karie handed him a steamy mug of the hangover remedy and set the jug back on the tray.

"Why are ye here anyway?" Jack asked, wincing at the pain in his head.

"For your information," Karie replied. "I am here to warn you of impending doom." Jack sat up suddenly and banged his head on the top bunk. "Serves you right," Karie said.

"What do ye mean, impending doom?" Jack asked. Without a word, Karie handed Jack the letter from her dead uncle.

**A/N: I hope you liked that. Review, please**!


	15. Discoveries

He's a Pirate

**Chapter 15- Discoveries**

**Jack read the letter slowly, allowing it to sink in. When he finished, he sat up and looked Karie in the eye. "Ye should have told me before, mate," he said in all seriousness. "Now someone is after us, and for all we know, they have already found us and are just waiting for the opportune moment." For a moment, Karie was shocked into silence that Jack could be so serious.**

**But then Jack smiled broadly and sighed. "Ah, well," he said, standing up and straightening his hat. Then he nodded to her and left his cabin.**

**Karie stood there by herself for a moment before leaving the room herself and closing the door after her. When she wasn't looking, Jack snuck back in and took a long drag of the hangover remedy. Then he left the room again.**

**-**

**Karie stood on the bow of the ship, watching the sunrise. It had been a long night, and she was eager to get away from this place, and possibly away from Jack, as well as whoever was trying to kill him. Karie thought about what the letter had said.**

_**The red light shines in the day…**_

**The sunrise was a beautiful thing to watch, with its colors of orange and gold, and red.**

_**Red…**_

**Just as Karie was thinking this, someone put his hand on her shoulder. She whirled around to see Anna Maria. Karie calmed down. The older woman was her friend, and she was glad of it. Anna Maria came to stand beside her and watch the sunset with her.**

**"It's beautiful, ain't it?" Anna Maria asked in a quiet voice.**

**"Yes," Karie murmured. The reddish light in the west washed the deck of the Pearl in an eerie red glow.**

_**The red light shines in the day…**_

**"I remember my ma once telling me a story," Anna Maria began. "It was of a young woman who was in love, but her parents wouldn't let her marry the man she loved. Then a war broke out, and her lover had to go across the sea to war. The young woman waited on a peak for him, but he never came back. She didn't move, not even when a letter came to say that he had been killed." Anna Maria looked down at her hands, embarrassed. "I always felt like I somehow knew that young woman," she murmured.**

**"Because you loved someone, and your parents didn't approve, right?" Karie asked gently.**

**Anna Maria's face was stony, a mask without emotion. She nodded very slightly. "Yes," she whispered, her voice giving her away. "I loved a man once. And my love got my man killed." She turned her face away from Karie a little.**

**"Whatever happened, it wasn't you fault," Karie said gently.**

**Anna Maria shook her head. "I shouldn't have said anything," she replied in a cold voice, and Karie knew that she wasn't going to get anything more out of the other woman.**

**-**

_**Jeremy sneered at the cowering man. The man was nothing more than a piece of dust on the roadside, and he was in Jeremy's way. Jeremy pulled out his sword and held it menacingly towards the man.**_

_**Although he was old, the man was not stupid, and had had his life threatened before. Jeremy could see the defiance in the old man's eyes. He took a step towards the old man in a threatening manner. The old man cowered, and would not look Jeremy in the eye.**_

_**"Where is it?" Jeremy asked in his husky voice.**_

_**"I don't know," the old man replied in a quivering voice. Jeremy grabbed the old man's collar and yanked him off the floor.**_

_**"Either you tell me where it is, or I will rip you apart," he threatened. "Now, where is it?"**_

_**The old man shook his head. Jeremy smiled and sheathed his sword. He saw the look of faded hope on the old man's face. Then Jeremy reached one meaty hand up and twisted the old man's arm so that it was all bent and stubby. The old man bit his lip until it bled, but he kept silent.**_

_**Enraged, Jeremy ripped at the man's leg, yanking it off. This time the man cried out in pain; an unearthly sound that made Jeremy's skin crawl. For a moment, he almost regretted hurting the man. Almost.**_

_**"Now, tell me where it is!" Jeremy yelled at the man.**_

_**His face white with pain, the old man looked Jeremy in the eye. He gathered his strength, and spit in Jeremy's face. "Jack Sparrow will deal with you," he said. That was a very stupid thing to say.**_

_**No one talked to Captain Jeremy Finch like that; no one. Jeremy unsheathed his sword and raised it high above his head. He thrust it deep into the old man's stomach. The old man cried out, quivering with the sword in his belly. Then, he was silent.**_

_**Satisfied that his anger had been put to good use, Jeremy pulled out his sword, and dropped the body on the floor. He wiped the dirty blade on the old man's shirt, and then sheathed it. Then he stepped over the body and left the mansion.**_

_**He knew that the old man had been lying, but he also knew something else: Jack Sparrow would soon be coming there. This meant that Jeremy would get his revenge, and Jack would find the locket for him. It was a perfect plan.**_

**-**

**Karie stood at the wheel with Anna Maria behind her to correct any mistake she might make. Karie turned the wheel slightly. As she did, she noticed that her hands were no longer soft, and delicate. Now they were rough, and work-worn. Somehow, that thought was comforting. No one could say that she was weak with hands like that.**

**"A little to the right," Anna Maria instructed. Karie obeyed.**

**"So, what do ye think?" Anna Maria asked. "Can ye take the wheel on yer own?"**

**"I think so," Karie replied uncertainly. "But I'm concerned that I may lose control."**

**"Yer stronger than ye think," Anna Maria said encouragingly. Karie smiled.**

**"Thanks," she said. After a moment, Anna Maria left Karie to use the wheel on her own.**

**In Karie's right hand was Jack's compass. Karie wanted to get to where the weeping rock was and the compass was the perfect tool to use to get her there. The thing she wanted most was to defeat the hidden enemy who wanted to do her harm. The only way to do this was to find the weeping rock. Karie just hoped that she would get there before her opponent.**

**Her mind turned to thoughts that she had had earlier that day…**

_**The red light shines in the day…**_

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading that. Please review!**


	16. Oh, Bugger

He's a Pirate

**Chapter 16 – Oh, Bugger**

**Karie turned around just in time to see Jack staring at her. He had been watching her ever since they had found the locket. He obviously was devising a way to get it from where it lay around Karie's neck. Karie would never let him have it, as she knew that it would mean he would use it for selfish purposes. She wanted to use it to help others. Karie left the wheel to Anna Maria, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, and went over to Jack, who was looking for a place to hide.**

**"Jack," she began.**

**"_Captain_ Jack, thank ye very much," he corrected.**

**"Jack," she repeated. "I know that you want the locket. I know that you'll do anything to get it, but let me make this very clear to you. I will never give this locket to you, because you will use it for your own selfish purposes. Am I right?"**

**"Uh, yeah," Jack said, as though it was obvious.**

**"Then you won't get it," Karie said. "You wouldn't anyway," she added just as Jack was about to say something. "But it would have been noble of you to want to use it for something that would help others."**

**With that sentiment, Karie went below, where she could be alone to think about the riddle that her uncle told her about in the letter. She knew one thing for sure, even if everything else was a mystery. She knew that she had to find the answer before her uncle's killer did.**

**-**

**Karie was woken in the middle of the night by the sounds of metal against metal. She threw off her covers and pulled on her clothes. Grabbing her sword, she ran out of the room. Anna Maria was in front of the hatchway to the deck. Karie could see that she was battling with someone. She rushed to help her friend, and together, they killed him.**

**"What's going on?" Karie asked over the noise of grunts, groans, clangs, and cries for help.**

**"We're under attack!" Anna Maria said, stabbing someone in the gut. Karie ducked a swing, and cut off a man's arm. She nearly threw up when she saw all the blood that poured from the wound.**

**"I think I'm going to be sick," she said, holding her stomach.**

**"Can ye be sick another time?" Anna Maria asked.**

**Anna Maria and Karie finished off the one-armed man and climbed up through the hatchway to the deck. Everywhere around them, men were fighting.**

**A man came at Karie with a short sword in hand. She was about to defend herself, when a shot rang out and whizzed past her ear. The man fell down, dead. Karie turned, and saw Jack standing not too far away with a gun in hand, the barrel smoking.**

**"Watch out!" She warned, and Jack turned his attention to another man, who was coming at him with a crazy grin on his face, shrieking strangely.**

**"These men are mad," Karie said to Anna Maria as the two women battled side by side. She jumped up to avoid a low sweep of a sword, and then she cut off the man's head. She tried not to throw up as she turned her attention to the next person who was waiting to attack.**

**Wait a minute, Karie thought. Why are they waiting?**

**It was true. All the men who had, moments ago, been attacking the crew of the Black Pearl, were now standing around, waiting for something.**

**"What are they waiting for?" Jack whispered to Karie as he came up to her.**

**"I don't know," she replied. She would have replied with a snotty remark, but her tongue was tied in that area.**

**Just then, the sounds of someone's feet on the floorboards reached their ears. A man came into their view. He was a large man, with reddish-brown hair, and his beard was the same color. He wasn't fat. He was just big. Karie had never seen a man so tall, or so heavily built.**

**"Well, well, well," he said in a rough, gravelly voice. Karie wondered why it sounded so worn out. "I've been waiting a long time fer this." He turned to Jack. "Ye must be Captain Jack Sparrow." His laugh was mocking, and his men joined in his buffoonery.**

**"Who wants to know?" Karie asked when she realized that Jack wasn't going to say anything.**

**"The name's Captain Jeremy Finch," the large man leaned down and breathed his hot, rancid breath in Karie's face. She wrinkled her nose, closed one eye, and leaned away from him.**

**"Whew!" She said, waving her hand in front of her face. "Your breath stinks like a pigs back end! Have you ever thought about chewing peppermint leaves?"**

**Captain Finch's face twisted up into a snarl, and he leaned away from her. "And who are ye?" He demanded.**

**"None of your business," Karie replied haughtily.**

**"I'm hurt," Captain Finch said, "That you would deny me the honor of knowing your name." He put his hand to his heart in a mocking gesture.**

**"Now, see here," Jack began.**

**"Silence!" Captain Finch's voice rang out. He turned to Jack. "Are ye Captain Jack Sparrow, or are ye not?" He asked. "If ye aren't, then it's down to the depths with the lot of you." He stared menacingly at Jack.**

**"I am," Jack said, taking a step towards the large man in front of him. Karie knew what that tone of voice meant. It meant that he was about to either lie, or strike a deal with the man.**

**Jack put his arm around the man's shoulder. The man looked at Jack's arm, and then at Jack. Jack removed his arm from around the other pirate Captain's shoulder.**

**"Do that again, and ye'll lose the arm," Captain Finch threatened. Then, to his men he said, "Take what's left of 'em aboard _The Seabird_." Then he turned, and let his men clap the crew of the Black Pearl in irons, so to speak. They actually used rope.**

**"Oh, Bugger," Jack muttered as they were hauled off the Pearl, and onto the other man's ship. "We're in for it, now," he added.**

**Karie glared at him fiercely. Then, with her hands still tied together, she elbowed him in the gut. Jack doubled over in pain. "Ya think?" She asked sarcastically. She sighed.**

**Then, for the first time since she had woken, she remembered that she had the locket around her neck. She felt the slight pressure of the chain and pendant against her skin, underneath her tunic, which was buttoned up tight, to prevent the locket from falling out. Karie was glad that she had taken extra precautions, just in case. Once the crew was safely behind bars in the bottom of _The Seabird_, Karie turned to Jack with a look of extreme anger on her face.**

**"This is all your fault, Jack Sparrow," she said.**

**"Captain," Jack corrected. He beckoned to the pirate who was guarding them. The pirate ignored Jack, and he kept on plucking away at a small violin.**

**"This is all your fault," Karie repeated. "He's after you, not us." Jack ignored her, and this made her mad. She tapped Jack on the shoulder. He turned to look at her. She slapped him hard across the mouth.**

**"Not sure I deserved that," he muttered.**

**"I'm not sure I want to know why you're always getting slapped," Will commented generally.**

**"I can answer that," Karie said. "Because he's a dumb jerk."**

**"I am not," Jack said. "I'm a very clever jerk."**

**"But a jerk all the same," Karie replied, and she retreated into a corner of the cell. She wrapped her arms around herself and gently touched the place where the locket was resting against her chest. Perhaps this would turn out alright, but she didn't want that strange pirate captain to get the locket. If he tried to search her, she would just have to throw it into the sea. In the meantime, she would keep it hidden. The locket was the key to the sea, and if this Captain Jeremy Finch got his filthy hands on it, the others would be in for a lot more trouble than just being boarded.**


	17. Escape

He's a Pirate

**Chapter 17 – Escape**

**Karie woke shivering and wet. She looked around herself for a moment before she remembered what had happened the day before. She now officially hated the water. She hated everything about it. She used to love to go swimming when she was a girl, but not anymore. From now on, water was safe from her.**

**Karie sat up and looked around. The other members of the Pearl were lying in a sprawled heap on the ground. All except Jack, that is. He was crouched in front of the gate to the cell and was jangling it loudly. The guard was nowhere to be found.**

**Karie quietly picked her way over to Jack. She crouched down beside him.**

**"Bugger! Bugger! Bugger! Bugger! Bugger!" Jack muttered under his breath and the door jangled again.**

**"What are you doing?" Karie asked in a whisper. Jack nearly hit the roof in surprise. He had not heard or sensed her presence.**

**"What does it look like I'm doing?" He asked. "Baking a cake?" Karie chose not to reply to that last comment, and instead took the stick from Jack's hand.**

**"You're not going to get anywhere trying it like that," she said. "Now, first of all, where's the guard?"**

**"Over there," Jack pointed to the pirate, who was just out of reach. He was lying on the floor, unconscious.**

**"What did you do to him?" Karie asked.**

**"Hit 'im with a rock," Jack replied matter-of-factly.**

**"And you couldn't have waited until he was closer to do it?" She asked, a little frustrated.**

**"Well, excuse me," he said, "But I have more important things to do with my time than cater to your every whim and urge."**

**Karie looked at him, first with a look of disgust and horror and then a look of annoyance. "It would have allowed us to get the keys from him," she said. Jack face suddenly registered comprehension.**

**"Ah," he said. "Well, there's an answer to that problem right away."**

**"What's that?" Karie asked.**

**Jack leaned in close to her, and she could smell his hot breath, that smelled like rum gone bad. "How much do you know about men?" He asked.**

**"Not much," Karie replied.**

**"Then let me give you a lesson," Jack said. Karie looked at him warily. She didn't trust him for a second.**

**-**

**An hour later, Jack was lying on the floor of the cell with the rest of the crew, and Karie was standing in front of the door. She was yelling with all her might, but no one was coming. Her voice was getting hoarse, and she didn't know if she could keep it up much longer.**

**"Hey!" She yelled. "Hey! Could someone come over here? I have feminine issue right now! Hello? Is anyone going to help me?" She sighed and turned to where Jack was lying down on the ground. He opened one eye and looked at her. She shrugged her shoulders, and Jack made a waving motion with his hand. Karie threw her hands up in the air.**

**Just then, there was the sound of someone coming down to the brig. Jack dropped his arm and closed his eyes again. Karie stood by the bars and held them in her hands. They were cold, and her hands were getting numb. She didn't think she could pull it off, but she had to. Otherwise, they might be stuck there for a long time.**

**From the hatch came Captain Jeremy Finch himself. Karie was only slightly surprised. She knew that she was pretty, and that could work to her advantage. She curled her cropped hair behind her ears in an attempt to be coy. She made her eyes very flirty.**

**"Could you possibly help me?" She asked sweetly. Perhaps it was a bit too sweet, but Captain Finch didn't seem to notice.**

**He didn't say anything, just stood there in front of the bars and looked at her. She thought he was looking at her with a look of greed, but then she realized that if it had been greed, he would have let her out already.**

**"Please?" She asked, this time a little less syrupy.**

**He licked his lips, possibly in an attempt to prevent them from drying out. "What?" He asked hoarsely.**

**Karie leaned against the bars of the cell. "It gets so lonely down here," she said. "I really would like someone to keep me company." She batted her eyelashes outrageously. She had rehearsed this with her cousin, Christine, before she had gone to live with her uncle. It was her cousin's sure-fire way of getting a guy to notice you. Then again, her cousin was also a slut. But right at that moment, it proved to be helpful.**

**Karie looked at him. Captain Finch hadn't moved. He continued to stare at her and it really unnerved Karie. She turned her head slightly, and she saw Jack open one eye. She signaled to him with her eyes that it wasn't working.**

**Just then, she heard his hoarse whisper reach her ears. "Fine." He sat down on a stool. He didn't seem to notice the unconscious guard on the floor not two feet away. **

**"Thank you," Karie said in the syrupy way that her cousin had taught her. There was a moment's pause before she continued. "You know, I never liked it over on the Pearl. It was always smelly, and the kitchen, don't get me started on the kitchen!" She threw up her hand in exclamation and leaned against the bars. Captain Finch was staring into space, obviously lost in thought.**

**"And that Captain Sparrow," Karie continued, hoping to draw his attention. "He is such a moron! Really, I mean, whoever made him Captain of the Black Pearl was a complete idiot." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jack give her the finger from where he lay. Karie smiled at Captain Finch.**

**"You seem to be someone who knows his way around a ship, and isn't a constant drunk." This wasn't working! She could tell. Just when she was about to start making things up, he spoke.**

**"What is your name?" He asked quietly. Karie was taken aback by this question. She hadn't expected it.**

**"Loretta," she lied, hoping he wouldn't notice her hesitation.**

**"Liar, you mean," he said. He noticed.**

**"No, really," Karie said. "My name is Loretta." She turned the sweet meter up a bit. "But I'm curious about you, not me," she said, reaching her hand through the bars and, while trying not to vomit, touched his beard. He grabbed her hand and threw it down.**

**"Don't touch me," he hissed.**

**"Ow," Karie said in a fake whimper. "You're hurting me." She made a pouty face. She thought she was going to throw up. But, her fear must have registered in her face, because he hesitated slightly. It was all the hesitation that she needed. She kneed him in the groin, and he fell to the ground, whimpering softly. Karie reached through the bars and grabbed the keys.**

**"Piece of advice," she said. "Don't ever underestimate the powers of a woman." Then, she unlocked the cell and let the rest of the crew out.**

**As Gibbs was passing Captain Finch, he leaned down to face the other pirate. "It's bad luck to have a woman on board, you know," he whispered to the pirate Captain. Then, along with a bunch of other members of the Pearl, Gibbs bound up the Pirate Captain.**


	18. Benny

**Chapter 18 – Benny**

**Karie stood by with Jack and Anna Maria. Anna Maria was saying something to Jack and he made a reply. Karie played with a chain that hung around her neck. In the dimness, Captain Jeremy Finch couldn't quite make out what it was.**

**Then, he understood. It was the locket. The thing that he had been searching for, for so long, was within his grasp. He fought like mad to get out of his bonds, but they held strong. He had to finally resign himself to the fact that he would have to wait until he could convince her that the locket belonged to him. He was betting that she was soft-hearted. That would be her downfall.**

**Jack said Karie's name several times before she was able to think clearly enough to answer him.**

**"Sorry, what?" She asked, just beginning to come out of the daydream that she had been in.**

**"I said, we best be gettin' along." He smiled his almost toothless smile. "Unless ye like it down here?" It was a question.**

**"No, thank you," Karie replied, and she followed Anna Maria, Jack, Gibbs, and Will out of the hold. They stepped out onto the deck, and all the pirates stopped.**

**"The prisoners have escaped!" Someone yelled. The other pirates yelled as well, and they began to charge at the small group of companions.**

**"Unless you want your captain to die," Will began. "I suggest you think carefully before you attack us. Our fellows are below, in the hold, with your captain in bonds. If anything happens to us, then your captain would lose his life." Will had taken Captain Finch's sword, and he held it high.**

**"I think that's enough, Will," Karie said as soon as the pirates had stopped charging them and were standing around, not knowing what to do. "You don't have to overdo it."**

**"What will we get out of it if he dies?" One sailor asked. His question was greeted with a group of hear-hears.**

**"Pardon?" Karie asked, not believing her ears.**

**"I think they want something if we're going to kill their captain," Jack said drunkenly. She had no idea how he could be drunk, seeing as how they had been locked up for the last twenty-four hours without food or drink.**

**"No, duh," Karie said sarcastically. Then she turned to the other pirates. "Are you actually saying that you don't care whether he dies or not?" She asked.**

**The pirate closest to her nodded his head. "We haven't been paid once since the day we joined his crew," he said. "We want some pay, and then we want to go home."**

**"Not me!" Someone yelled from the main mast. "I could live the rest of me life here!" The person laughed insanely.**

**Karie, Jack, Anna Maria, Gibbs and Will all looked up to see who it was who had spoken. A small man scurried down from the mast in a matter of a minute, and stood before them. He was bouncing up and down on his heels, and he peered at the group of friends closely.**

**"We all know that ye'd want to stay here, Benny," the first pirate said. Then, he grabbed Benny's arm and hauled him away. But, as soon as he released his arm, Benny dashed right back up to stand in front of Anna Maria. He was breathing fast and heavily, and chewing something that smelled like peppermint.**

**"Hi, I'm Benny!" He said really fast into Anna Maria's face in a voice that was much too loud.**

**"Pleasure," Anna Maria said, wrinkling her noise at him and taking his quivering hand.**

**"Pleasure's all mine, miss!" He practically yelled. Then, he turned to Jack, Karie, Gibbs and Will and shook each of their hands in turn.**

**"Look, Jack," Karie whispered to the pirate so that no one else could hear. "It's your long-lost cousin." She smiled, and he gave her a mocking smile in return.**

**"Benny, go away," the first pirate said again. Benny acted as though he hadn't heard him.**

**He actually reminded Karie of a squirrel. Or maybe a little kid who's had too much candy, she thought as Benny bounced around and insisted on showing them everything. He showed them the masts, he showed them the poop deck, and he showed them the crow's nest.**

**"That's my station," he said proudly, pointing to the top of the main mast.**

**"Yes, Benny, they know that. Now go away," the first pirate had followed them around, and was getting tired of hearing Benny's endless chatter. The other sailors had returned to their regular jobs.**

**Benny made a pouty face, but said nothing. Then, he grabbed Anna Maria's hand and dragged her over to a hatch-way.**

**"I have something I want to show ye," he said in explanation. Anna Maria turned her head and mouthed the words, Help me, to Karie. Karie shook her head and shrugged at her friend.**

**Benny let go of Anna Maria's hand and jumped down the hatchway. Then, a moment later, he popped back up with a small little box in his hands. "This has been in me family for generations," he said.**

**He smiled, showing teeth that were much too small for his face, which was covered in folds of brown skin. Benny himself was small and lanky, and would have appeared to be almost a teenager, if it weren't for the fact that his teeth were all gone, and his skin was all wrinkled. In truth, he was a young man. He just spent too much time in the sun, and it had turned his skin a dark brown and made it look wizened like an overripe apple.**

**"Okay," Anna Maria said hesitantly.**

**Then, Benny opened it to reveal a necklace made of shells. The shells were the color of brushed pink, and they set off the red in Anna Maria's cheeks. He handed the box to Anna Maria. His face had turned a deep shade of red that ran all the way down his neck. He scuffed the floor with his shoe.**

"**I want ye to have it," he mumbled. "'Cause I'll never have a use for it, so ye should keep it. It suits ye."**

**Anna Maria was speechless. She didn't know what to say. She finally was able to mumble a thank you, but she really didn't want to lead him on. She didn't know that he was just fine to admire from afar.**

**Karie crept up behind Anna Maria. "She loves it," she said to Benny, who turned even redder. Then Benny was called away for a moment. As soon as he was gone, Karie poked Anna Maria. "He likes you," she teased like the teenager she was.**

**"Don't be silly," Anna Maria said. "He's just being nice."  
"He likes you," Karie continued, smiling so broadly that Anna Maria thought her mouth was going to crack.**

**"Shut up before I wipe that stupid grin off yer face," Anna Maria growled. Then, one of the sailors on _The Seabird_ came up to Jack and whispered in his ear. For a brief moment, Benny was silent as he waited for the man to come back, presumably with an answer.**

**Then, Jack nodded at the man, who then returned to Benny. The sailor whispered in Benny's ear, and Benny smiled broadly.**

**Karie and Anna Maria found out later that Jack had been asked if Benny could go with them. He had said yes.**


	19. The Sound of Thunder

**Chapter 19 – The Sound of Thunder**

**Anna Maria was standing at the bow of the ship, steering the wheel towards Tortuga and Benny was standing right beside her, nattering away like a little monkey. Anna Maria was flattered by his attention, but he was so annoying, and he never stopped talking.**

**"Benny?" Anna Maria asked when he paused for breath.**

**"Yeah?" He asked, ready for anything.**

**"Could ye not talk just now? I need to concentrate." She furrowed her eyebrows together in mock concentration.**

**"Okay."**

**There was a moment of precious silence.**

**"Ye know what's really neat?" Benny asked when only a minute had passed.**

**Anna Maria sighed. "What?"**

**"When ye get to climb up the topmast," he replied. "It's the neatest. Ye can see for miles, and no one can see ye. Ye feel so free and invigorated and…" Anna Maria tuned him out and tried to concentrate on steering, or else go mad from his incessant chatter.**

**-**

**They arrived at Tortuga late in the evening. A small group left the Pearl and headed for the town of Tortuga. They were made up of Karie, Jack, Will, Gibbs, and Anna Maria. Trailing behind Anna Maria was Benny, who never left her side except to sleep and relieve himself.**

**"I am going to kill ye for this one day," Anna Maria whispered in Jack's ear menacingly.**

**"Relax, luv," he said. He walked with a swagger, as though he was already drunk.**

**"Where are you going?" Karie asked when Jack headed for the inner part of the town, where the worst drunks stayed.**

**"Two Hornpipes," he replied over his shoulder. **

**Karie rolled her eyes. "I'm going to see if I can find us a place to stay that's not too bad," she told the others.**

**"We'll follow Jack and make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble," Gibbs said, and he and Will went in the direction that Jack had gone.**

"**I'll come with ye," Anna Maria told Karie.**

**"Oh, goody!" Benny exclaimed, as though he were a child. "Show me everything! I want to see everything!"**

**"Have ye never been to Tortuga?" Anna Maria asked Benny as they began to walk. Karie was only half listening. She was looking for something important: A decent place to stay the night.**

**"Nope," he said. "Cap'un Finch found me on a small island where I'd been left behind." He sounded as though it didn't even matter. Anna Maria was filled with pity for him.**

**"Oh, that's terrible!" She exclaimed. "Why would they do that?"**

**"They said I talked too much."**

**"I can relate," Karie muttered, but she smiled at Anna Maria and winked at her knowingly. Anna Maria's face turned a slight shade of red. She frowned at Karie while making threatening motions at her when Benny wasn't paying attention.**

**Benny was full of questions.**

**"What's this?"**

**"It's a tavern."**

**"What's in it?"**

**"People."**

**"What kind of people?"**

**"The drunk kind."**

**"Oh. What's that?" He pointed to a woman covered with so many ruffles that she was practically hidden. She was flirting unashamedly with a man who carried a beer in one hand and a sword in the other. The sword was sheathed, and he was waving it at anyone who bothered to get within two feet of him.**

**"That," Karie said, jumping into the conversation, "is a whore. She is someone who will lie with a man for pay. Very bitchy when approached by other, prettier women, the common slut is someone you want to stay away from."**

**"Oh." Benny tilted his head sideways in a curious fashion, like a hawk.**

**"Let's keep moving. I don't like the look of some of these people," Anna Maria said.**

**"I don't like the look of any of these people," Karie replied and the group kept moving.**

**-**

**They ended up having to stay the night at Two Hornpipes. The beds were lumpy and hurt Karie's back, and she thought she could hear the scrabbling sounds of mice. Her mattress was stuffed with moldy straw, and she thought she smelled urine that had soaked into the mattress. The pillow also smelled of human vomit.**

**When Anna Maria woke in the middle of the night, she saw Karie sleeping on the floor. She shrugged. She was used to the conditions, but Karie had been raised as a person who was almost a noble. Tortuga was no place for a lass like her. But it was her decision.**

**-**

**The next day, Karie showed the new bartender of Two Hornpipes how to make the hangover remedy. She omitted the secret ingredient, though. It was the thing that made the remedy taste so good. Without it, the remedy had an apple taste that was slightly bitter. But it was better than nothing.**

**When Jack woke, – at about midmorning – a serving wench came in with the remedy. Jack downed it in one gulp, and then coughed, noticing the difference.**

**"What the –" he started. "What's this, mate?" He demanded, holding his pounding head.**

**"Hangover remedy, Cap'un," the serving wench replied. "A lass came with this recipe, and it turns out that it works."**

**"I've tasted it before, and it don't taste like this," Jack said, but he did start to feel better.**

**The serving wench smiled and shook her head. Then she left the room, leaving Jack alone to get dressed. That's when Jack noticed that the lady he had spent the night with was still in the bed. He looked her over. She was a pretty thing, but he had other things to do today. He had had his fun.**

**Jack grimaced at the thought of someone from the crew coming in here and seeing him with the whore. He quickly dressed and grabbed his effects from the table. Then he downed what was left of the draft. He grimaced at the bitter taste.**

**Setting the mug back down on the table, Jack left the room, placing his precious hat on his head as he did so. He closed the door tight and blocked it with a chair, so the whore couldn't follow him and slap him like all the other women he had slept with.**

**He entered the main part of the tavern to see Karie talking with a handsome young man. He had blond hair and was quite tall. He was dressed in regular pirate clothes, but something about him made him seem as though he were someone who would not normally enter a tavern.**

**Karie laughed, and Jack grew angry. What could the young man have said that would have made her look at him that way?**

**-**

**Karie turned as Jack came up to her.**

**"Oh, hi, Jack," she said dismissively. "This is Thom," she continued, introducing the young man beside her. "He's offered to lead us up to the peak." She smiled at the young man, who returned her smile with a dazzling one of his own. His teeth were quite white, and that surprised Jack.**

**"You told him that we wanted to go up the peak?" He asked disbelievingly.**

**Karie turned to him and gave him a pointed look. Then she forced a smile. "Of course. I told him that we wanted to see the view, remember?" She asked pointedly.**

**"Ah, yes," Jack said, but inside he was boiling with anger.**

**They left soon after that.**

**Their group was now made up of seven people. There was Karie, Jack, Gibbs, Will, Anna Maria, Benny, and now Thom, who led the group.**

**It took the better part of the day to climb up to Lighthouse Peak, but they arrived at about mid-afternoon. Karie stood up at the peak and raised her arms, lifting her head to the sky. The view was glorious, showing the glistening ocean beyond Tortuga's port. If you ignored the city below, you could almost imagine that it was a beautiful island paradise.**

**Lighthouse Peak was really more of a plateau, and there was green flora everywhere. A large slab of rock jutted out from the point of the plateau, and on top of it was the lighthouse, now falling apart from disuse and disrepair. Beside the lighthouse stood a rock made of a pale pink color. There were two spots on it that were of a misty blue, like the color of the sky after a storm.**

**Karie walked up to the rock, which was taller than she was, and she touched the tip of it. It seemed to shudder and move under her touch. But when she looked again, it was as hard as ever.**

**The group had a late lunch there, and everyone conversed as though they'd been friends for ages.**

**Everyone except Jack.**

**Jack Sparrow was not happy. He sat a few feet away from everyone else, watching Thom with contempt. At one point, Thom caught Jack's eye, and smiled. Then he put his arm around Karie's shoulders smugly.**

**Jack was boiling with anger. But then Karie slapped Thom's arm away and told him to back off. Jack grinned at Thom and Thom glowered back at him.**

**The sun was beginning to set by the time the group finished chatting. Karie watched it, and suddenly, she remembered her uncle's riddle.**

**"The answer can be found when the red light shines in the day," she whispered to herself.**

**"Pardon?" Thom asked, not quite hearing her.**

**"Nevermind," she said.**

**Karie watched as the sun went down. Jack came over and joined the rest of them; sitting on Karie's other side.**

**As the sun went down, Karie realized the answer to her uncle's riddle was right in front of her, sinking into the horizon. The whole group was bathed in a reddish glow.**

"**The red light shines in the day," Karie whispered.**

**Just then, there came a shuddering, crashing sound, like the sound of Thunder. But the sky was clear, and not a cloud was in sight. The whole group jumped to their feet as more thundering sounds shook the ground.**

**A few meters away was the rock. Karie had privately dubbed it the weeping rock, because it looked like a woman who was praying, and there were bits of moss stuck just blew the blue spots, which were presumably eyes.**

**But now, the rock was rumbling and shaking. Then, everything stopped. Everyone looked themselves over to make sure they were all in one piece.**

**Then, with a rumbling and resounding crack that echoed through the harbor below, the rock split cleanly into two pieces. The pieces fell apart; one to the right, the other to the left. Dust rose up in clouds from the thundering thump that the two pieces made when they hit the ground.**


	20. Birthright

**Chapter 20 – Birthright**

**Dust motes swirled in the air around the companions. Karie rubbed her watering eyes. The light was so bright. She squinted into the light, and took a step forward.**

**"Come forward, little one," a soft, lyrical voice murmured in Karie's ear. She turned, but no one was there.**

**"I am here," the voice said. "Come forward, and see me as I was."**

**Karie faced forward again and took a few steps. She still couldn't see very well in the bright light. It was almost as if there was extra light since the earthquake, or whatever it was that had made the rumbling noise. She covered her eyes again, but there was no longer any need.**

**There, among the settling dust, was a woman. She had red hair, and blue eyes and her skin was a soft peachy-pink color. She was wearing a plain white dress with a long white sash trailed behind her. Her shoulders were bare, and her long hair blew back in the wind. She seemed to be floating in the air, and she looked almost transparent.**

**"Who are you?" Karie whispered. She didn't know why she was whispering. Perhaps it was because it seemed that this apparition needed the respect that whispering gave.**

**Her mouth didn't move, but Karie heard her voice echoing in her mind.**

**"I was once a person, like you," she said. "But then, I let my heart take over, and I forgot how to live. I was imprisoned in this rock as punishment for not having faith that the one I loved would return."**

**"I don't understand," Karie said. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.**

**The woman smiled. "You have my locket, I believe," she said, and she held out her hand. The locket rose from Karie's neck of its own accord. Karie stared at stupidly for a moment. Then she removed it from around her neck, lifting it over her head. She held it out to the woman.**

**The woman didn't touch it, but the necklace instead floated just above her hand.**

**"I remember this necklace so well," she murmured to herself, although her mouth was still motionless. She closed her eyes.**

**Karie waited patiently. The light from the setting sun shone straight at her, and she held her hand in front of her face to protect her eyes against the bright light.**

**After a moment, the woman opened her eyes again. She held the locket out to Karie. Hesitantly, Karie took it and held it in her open palm.**

**"The locket is yours," the woman said.**

**"How do I solve the puzzle?" Karie asked, sure that she wouldn't be told unless she asked. She didn't think to ask what the woman meant by the locket being hers.**

**The woman smiled at her. "There is no puzzle to be solved," she replied. When she saw that Karie didn't understand, she continued. "Finding and releasing me was the only puzzle that needed to be solved," she said. "The locket is rightfully yours. It may have once been mine, but it is no longer." She smiled. "Do you remember who your mother and father were?" She asked.**

**Karie shook her head. She didn't think to ask how the woman knew that Karie's parents were dead.**

**"Your father was the same man who gave me the locket," she said. "He forgot about me and married another. You are his child. Because he gave me the locket, it was his to give. Because he gave it to me, it is mine to give. And because he was your father, it is your birthright."**

**"Does the locket control the sea?" Karie asked in quiet voice.**

**The apparition smiled again. "The locket controls whatever you want it to," she replied. "If you want it to control the sea, then it will. But it can only be used once. After that, it will become an ordinary locket."**

**She came closer to Karie and closed Karie's hand over the locket. The woman's hand felt feather-soft, and whispery-light; as though it was just air that brushed her fingers.**

**"The locket is yours," she repeated, still smiling. Her voice echoed in Karie's ears, as gentle as a kitten. "Use it wisely."**

**She let go of Karie's hand. "Be careful," she said. "I sense that danger is near." Then she leaned forward and took Karie's head in her pale, fluttering hands. Then she kissed her forehead. It felt like a feather was brushing her skin. "Be safe and go with my blessing," the woman whispered in Karie's ear. Her figure was beginning to fade.**

**Karie held up her hand. "Wait!" She cried. "Where are you going?"**

**"You have released me," the woman said as she began to float out to sea. "I can now leave this earth and rest in peace. For that, I thank you. And remember to use the locket wisely!" She cried out the last sentence as the breeze blew her out of sight.**

**-**

**Jack, Will, Gibbs, Thom, Anna Maria, and Benny had watched the whole scene. Unfortunately, none of them were able to see the woman, so they all thought Karie was crazy. When Karie returned, they asked her why she had been talking to herself.**

**"I wasn't talking to myself," she insisted. "I was talking to the woman in the rock." She explained what had happened and what the woman had said.**

**"Yeah, sure ye did," Gibbs said in disbelief.**

**"It's true!" Karie insisted. Then she remembered what the woman had said, about danger being near.**

**"We have to get away from here," she began. "The woman said that there was danger near."**

**Jack rolled his eyes and searched his pockets for something. He eventually gave up his search and turned his attention to the group.**

**That's when Karie noticed something: Thom was missing.**

**"Where's Thom?" She asked.**

**Everyone looked around. They shrugged their shoulders.**

**"We have to find him," Karie insisted.**

**The group begrudgingly decided that if it would make Karie stop talking crazy, then they would do it. Benny followed Anna Maria.**

**After a long search, they gave up.**

**Karie, Anna Maria, Benny and Jack all sat down while Gibbs crouched and Will stood. They looked up.**

**The sun had finished setting, and it was dark. There was only a faint glimmer of light on the horizon. Stars had already begun to shine in the evening sky, and they winked at the companions.**

**Karie took a deep breath of fresh air, and exhaled deeply. Benny scooted over closer to Anna Maria. In the quiet, she didn't mind.**

**"You know," Karie said, splitting the silence with her voice, "the woman said that the locket isn't the key, and it isn't a piece of some puzzle." She lay down on the grass, facing the sky. "She said that it was whatever I want it to be." She closed her eyes. "And that it was my birthright," she whispered to herself.**

**"Birthright? Well, now that is something," a harsh, grating voice chuckled.**

**Karie opened her eyes and sat up. Standing in front of her was Captain Jeremy Finch. She stood up and saw that the others had been caught unawares while her eyes were closed. They were all tied up.**

**Karie glared at the pirate captain with a fierce hatred. She hated him so much at that moment. From behind her, she heard someone come closer. She whirled around and yanked out her sword.**

**Three men stood behind her, one with a piece of rope, the other two held swords and they waved them at her menacingly. Karie jumped at them, and slashed with her sword. One man fell, the other aimed a cut at her arm. He hit his mark, and blood trickled down from her upper arm and down to her wrist. It flowed slowly, but surely.**

**Karie fell down and lay on the ground, a small pool of blood beginning to form around her arm. Her vision was blurry from hitting her head on a rock when she fell. It had all happened so fast that it seemed as though it wasn't real. But the pain was real, and that made her believe that the rest was real as well.**

**The last thing she saw before she passed out was the locket hanging outside her tunic; the last thing she heard was Captain Finch's grating laugh; and the last thing she felt was the locket being ripped from around her neck.**

**Then, there was darkness.**


	21. Despair

**Chapter 21 – Despair**

**Jack and the others watched as Captain Finch gleefully laughed at their misfortune. The Widow's Locket was dangling from around his neck, and he stroked it lovingly.**

**The crew of the Pearl was on _The Seabird_, and none of them were happy.**

**Jack's hair was wet from the rain that continued to pelt them, threatening to turn into hail. The strange weather wasn't the only thing that was angering Jack, though. Jack was also mad because Captain Jeremy Finch had decided that everyone from the Pearl was to be thrown overboard. The only person who was allowed to stay aboard _The Seabird_ was Karie, and the reason for that was too disgusting for even Jack to want to think about.**

**Captain Finch smiled evilly at Jack, and Finch leaned forward to speak to the other pirate captain.**

**"Yer pirating days are over, Jack Sparrow," he said, and he gave Jack a great shove.**

**Jack toppled over the edge of the deck, and fell. But, before he hit the water, he yelled back up, "It's Captain!" Then he was surrounded on all sides by water.**

**Captain Finch turned to the others and smiled gleefully in that evil way he had. Then, one by one, he turned each crew member of the Pearl overboard, whilst his crew laughed and he bellowed about how great he was.**

**Most of the members of the Pearl couldn't swim. Lucky for Anna Maria, Benny could, and he saved her. Will, Gibbs, and Jack could swim, and they were all able to make it to a small island that they hadn't been able to spot before because of the blinding rain.**

**Anna Maria coughed up water as she and Benny flopped down on the soaked beach. Jack was lumbering out of the water, and Gibbs was trying in vain to drain the two small drops that were left in his flask of rum that he kept around his neck.**

**Jack turned and watched through the rain as _The Seabird_ turned and started to move away from them. The rain decided to give the companions a break then, and it stopped. The sun came out a bit and warmed the wet bodies on the beach. Jack sat down on the wet sand and crossed his legs together.**

**Will came over and crouched down beside him.**

**"So, what now?" He asked.**

**"Now, dear William," Jack said. "Now we try to find a way off this wretched island."**

**"And how do ye propose we do that without a speck of dust to help us?" Gibbs asked sourly. "Or do ye have a ship hidden somewhere out here?" He snarled sarcastically.**

**"If there's anything that we aught to be doin' right now," Anna Maria called, coming over on shaking legs. "Is trying to find a place to stay where we won't be bothered by any natives or the like." She flopped down on the sand beside Jack.**

**Benny had followed her over to the others, and he was quite a sight. His black hair was soaked, and his baggy clothes were hanging off his skinny limbs, making him look like a skeleton. His wrinkles from the sun didn't do anything to help the matter, either. They made him look like a sad, lost puppy with no master to go home to.**

**Benny sat down beside Anna Maria and looked up at her faithfully. He saw that she was still wearing the necklace that he had given her. The fact that she appreciated it was enough to make him smile, with made him look like a sad old hound dog.**

**Jack sighed. If there was one thing that he wanted to do right then, it was to pull out that man's innards and force him to eat every last bit of them. The gruesome description made Jack grin.**

**-**

**Karie woke with a splitting headache and an aching arm. She was lying down, that was for sure. The place she was lying down on (a bed?) was gently rocking. In any other circumstances, it would have helped her to fall asleep. But, because of the pounding of her head, the rocking motion was making her sick. She wanted to throw up, but when she tried to rise, there was a roaring in her ears, and her vision became blurry.**

**To take her mind off her nausea, and the pain in her head, she decided to go over what had happened in the last little while.**

**Karie had gone with Jack, Will, Anna Maria, Benny and Thom to Lighthouse Peak to see the Weeping Rock. Karie recalled that the rock had split open, and the woman who had been trapped there had told Karie that the locket was rightfully hers. Then, the woman had left, and …**

**Thom had betrayed them! She remembered now!**

**Karie remembered that Captain Finch had sent his men after her, and she had gotten hurt!**

**She touched her arm, to make sure that it was still attached, and what she was remembering wasn't a dream. There was a bandage covering her upper arm. It was wound tight around the wound, but there was still a small red patch where the blood had soaked through.**

**Karie then remembered her locket. Her hands flew to her neck.**

**It was gone!**

**"Oh, no!" She whispered to herself.**

**"Looking for something?" A harsh, grating voice asked, a chuckle concealed within its sound.**

**Slowly, so as not to cause herself more injury, Karie looked up. There, standing at the foot of the bed, was Captain Jeremy Finch. Karie bared her teeth in anger when she saw the locket he was dangling in front of her.**

**"You know," Finch said, walking around the side of the bed to stand beside her, "This locket is something special. With it, I can control the sea. Even Davy Jones won't be able to stop me. His Kraken will obey me, because I control the rolling of the waves. I can conjure up a tempest. I can …" He continued to drone on and on.**

**Karie tuned out what he was saying for a good five minutes while he continued to brag about how great he was going to be with the locket in his possession.**

**"And now," he continued, "We come to you." He smiled down at Karie, who allowed her head to fall back down on the pillow because she could no longer support it without her arms to help her.**

**"What about me?" She demanded, glaring angrily at the pirate captain.**

**"You have something I need," Captain Finch smiled at her slyly.**

**"And what is that?" She asked. She didn't like the way his smile changed. It became supercilious instead of sly, and that worried her. She hated it when people knew things that she didn't. It bothered her immensely, and this was no exception.**

**"I need you to help me get the locket to work," Finch said simply.**

**"Really?" She asked sarcastically. "And what makes you think that I can help you, or even if I will?" She raised an eyebrow at him.**

**"Because if you don't," he said, straightening out, "Then I will kill your friend, Jack." He smiled.**

**Karie raised an eyebrow at him again. "That's the best threat you have?" She asked rhetorically. "Go ahead and kill him," she said before he had a chance to reply. "It makes no difference to me."**

**Captain Finch smiled. "I think it does," he said quietly in that harsh, grating voice of his. "You see," he began, starting to pace around the room, "Your friend Thom was my most trusted crewman." He smiled cruelly. "He told me all about your little fiasco with the rock, and the weird things you said." He held up the locket as Karie glared at him. "I hear that you are the heir to this necklace," he said. "Well, that will soon change." He smiled.**

**"If you kill me, you won't be able to use it at all," Karie said, glaring daggers at him.**

**"Oh, now see, that's where you're wrong," he said, still smiling superciliously. "You are going to write down in your last will and testament, that you want me to be the heir to the locket. Then, I'm going to kill you, and the locket will be mine." He smiled even more broadly.**

**"I'm the heir because I'm blood, moron," she retorted. "You're not blood."**

**"Well, then," he said. "I think that something else can be arranged." He smiled cruelly.**

**Karie looked at him uneasily. She'd trust Jack over Finch any day. She wished Jack was there.**

**Finch took a step towards her and smiled. She sat up and backed away from him, trying not to let her fear show.**

**"In fact," he said, still smiling, "I believe that something can definitely be arranged."**


	22. Rescue

**Chapter 22 – Rescue**

**Jack looked up at everyone. They all nodded. They were ready. Gibbs started to work the, and air blew into the sail of the small raft. The raft began to move forward. Benny, Anna Maria, and Gibbs cheered. Will scowled, and Jack stared at the horizon. He didn't like that The Pearl had been left at Tortuga.**

**Will shivered in the cold ocean air. "Why did I have to give up my shirt?" He asked, irritated. "It would have worked just as well without my shirt as with it."**

"**Because," Jack said, answering Will's question, and would say nothing more on the matter.**

**"Would ye rather have had Anna Maria remove her shirt?" Gibbs asked, meaning it rhetorically.**

**Benny looked up suddenly. "What was that?" He asked, his eyes wide.**

**Anna Maria rolled her eyes.**

**Gibbs, Will, Benny and Jack had given up their shirts to make a sail. Anna Maria had crudely stitched it together while Will, Gibbs and Benny had fashioned a make-shift raft and bellows.**

**The whole operation hade taken a while, but it was worth it. The group was now nearing the place where _The Seabird_ had disappeared, and they were all nervous**

**Jack's skin prickled with anticipation. He just hoped that they didn't arrive too late. He didn't want to imagine what it would be like if something like that happened.**

**They reached _The Seabird_ within the hour. The wind had stopped completely, and she was dead in the water. The five companions steered their little raft over to the edge and threw the vine/rope that they had brought with them from the island over a protruding piece of the ship.**

**They tested it, and then Benny, being the lightest and most nimble, grabbed hold and hauled himself up, like a monkey. He was quick and agile, and not afraid of a fight. Anna Maria couldn't help but admire him for it.**

**There was a crashing sound, and some cursing, and then a rope ladder was thrown over the edge of the ship. Anna Maria grabbed hold and climbed up to the deck. Will, Jack and Gibbs followed suit, leaving their little raft to drift off.**

**The group each took out their swords and came at the crew of_ The Seabird_. They fought bravely, but in the middle of it, a bunch of the crewmen changed sides, and joined the five friends.**

**At that point, Jack left them to it. It was clear that they didn't need his help. He dashed below deck and headed for the captain's cabin.**

**-**

**Karie jumped aside as Finch came at her. He slammed into a wall. Karie dashed over to the desk and grabbed the letter opener. She held it up menacingly.**

**"Stay back, Finch." She waved the letter opener threateningly.**

**"You should listen to me," Finch panted, coming at her like a bull again.**

**"Yeah, right," Karie said. "When pigs fly." She did some fancy footwork and came at him, sliding under his legs and scratching his thigh. He cried out, but held his own.**

**"You," he panted, "Are not fit to own the locket."**

**"And you are?" She asked, wiping the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.**

**Captain Finch didn't answer. He just leaned on his knees and panted. Karie, being the honorable one, waited.**

**When he had gotten his breath, he stood straighter. "It won't hurt," he whispered.**

**Karie's face twisted into a snarl. "Dream on, pig boy," she growled, and came at him.**

**But something was knocked against the wood door, and knocked the wash basin over. The water spilled onto the water, and Karie slipped on the floor. She knocked into Finch, who grabbed her arms. Karie was still holding the letter opener, but her arms were pinned and she could do nothing. She struggled vainly as he moved her hair away from her face and put his lips close to her ear.**

**"Too late for you, I suppose," he whispered in her ear. Some of his spittle spattered onto her cheek.**

**Just then, the door burst open. Jack was standing shirtless in the doorway, with a sword in hand. Through the open door, sounds of fighting could be heard.**

**"Jack," Karie exclaimed, breathless with surprise.**

**Finch tightened his grip on her waist and held a long and wicked looking knife to the base of her neck.**

**"Don't come any closer," he snarled at Jack. He started to move towards the door, by way of the wall. Jack stayed opposite him at all times.**

**Jack was still wearing his jacket, despite the fact that his shirt was gone. It made Karie think that perhaps he was trying to impress her again.**

**"I should have just killed you when I had the chance," Finch growled at him.**

**"Yes, ye should have, mate," Jack agreed. "But now's not the time to talk about what-if's."**

**"Agreed," Finch said, and he smiled. His back was to the door, and he backed into the doorway. "This is where we part, Jack Sparrow," he said. "Say goodbye to your girlfriend while you have the chance." He smiled cruelly.**

**Jack glanced at Karie only briefly.**

**But she wasn't paying attention. Finch's word's stirred an anger in her that she didn't know she had.**

**"I – am not – his girlfriend!" She yelled, and with all her strength, she elbowed him in the stomach.**

**"Oomph!" He exclaimed, and his grip on her loosened.**

**It was all the opportunity she needed. With one quick thrust, Karie rammed the letter opener into Finch's stomach.**

**"I am not," she began, turning around as he released her and crouched, quivering with the opener in his gut, "Nor will I ever be your whore."**

**She saw the locket hanging from around his neck. "And this is mine." She snatched it and clutched it protectively in her fist. Karie twisted the letter opener while it was still in Finch's stomach, and then she wrenched it out.**

**Finch's shirt was soaked in blood, and so was Karie's hand. The letter opener was coated with a thick layer of blood, and a few drops dripped onto the wooden floor. Sounds of fighting could still be heard through the open doorway, although they were getting less and less.**

**Karie panted. Then, she realized what she'd done, and it sickened her as much as it had when they had been boarded. She realized she was shaking.**

**She didn't know Jack was beside her until he put his hand on her shoulder. She whirled around, for a moment forgetting that it was him. The letter opener was still in her hand.**

**"Whoa!" Jack exclaimed, holding his hands up in front of him.**

**"Oh!" Karie exclaimed in relief. "It's just you." She sighed and dropped the letter opener.**

**After a moment, Jack turned to her and said, "That was brilliant, mate." He smiled beatifically at her.**

**She gave a weak smile in return. "Thanks," she said.**

**Then she gave one last shudder before leaving Finch where he lay. She didn't want to finish the job herself, and she figured that he would die on his own in a few minutes anyway.**

**Jack followed her, and they both saw that the fighting was over. Blood lay in pools on the wooden deck, and there were bodies everywhere. Only a handful of bedraggled men where left, including Anna Maria, Gibbs, Will and Benny.**

**"How did you guys escape?" Karie asked.**

**"That's a tale for after we've cleaned up," Gibbs said. Gibbs, Will and Benny were all without shirts, and she looked at them with a confused expression on her face.**

**Anna Maria came up to Karie and hugged her. "I'm just glad yer safe, mate," she said, smiling.**

**Jack walked off to speak with Gibbs, while Anna Maria embraced Karie again. Benny was standing only a foot away from Anna Maria.**

**-**

**Unbeknownst to the others, Finch had crawled up on deck. He was still very much alive, and he was mad. He wanted revenge. What better way to do it, then the way that would cause Karie the most pain.**

**Finch had seen Anna Maria embrace Karie, and he knew exactly what he wanted to do to accomplish his revenge.**

**He pulled out his pistol from its holster and held it out. He was lying on his stomach as an attempt to try and put enough pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding. He propped his elbows up and held the gun in both hands. He aimed, fired and the bullet found flesh.**


	23. Life and Death

**Chapter 23 – Life and Death**

Benny was the first to see Finch aim the gun – and it was pointed at Anna Maria.

"NO!" He screamed, and he shoved Anna Maria out of the way just as Finch fired. Anna Maria crashed into Karie, who fell into a pool of blood left by some unfortunate man.

"What the heck?" Karie tried to scramble up, but she was pinned down until Anna Maria was able to stand.

As soon as she had gotten her footing, Karie stood up and touched her hair. It was covered in someone else's blood.

Then she heard Anna Maria gasp. Karie turned and saw Benny lying on the ground with a patch of blood spreading from his stomach onto his shirt.

Karie raised her head and saw Finch in the doorway that led inside to the Captain's cabin. He had a gun in his hands. He was already cocking it for a second shot.

"Jack!" Karie cried out. Jack swiveled his head and saw the other pirate captain aiming for Karie. Jack pulled out his own gun, and shot Finch in the head.

Finch's head fell down and rolled to one side. He was finally dead.

But that didn't help Benny's situation.

Karie crawled over to where Anna Maria was futilely trying to stop the bleeding with her hands.

"Here," Karie took off her jacket and handed it to Anna Maria, who wordlessly took it and pressed it against the wound.

Benny's wound was a stomach wound. It was unlikely that he would recover.

Anna Maria hadn't felt the same way about Benny that he had felt about her, but she had always been flattered by his attention – even if he was sometimes a little annoying. She didn't want Benny to die.

A tear escaped her eye and trickled down her cheek. She wiped it away angrily before anyone could see. She mustn't show weakness of any kind.

"It doesn't look good, mate," Jack commented from where he stood, near Karie.

In reply, Karie slapped his leg. Jack didn't say anything more, although he gave Karie an angry look when her back was turned.

Will went up to Karie then and tapped her on the shoulder. Karie whirled around to face him. She seemed relieved when she saw who it was.

"What about the locket?" He asked, pointing to the chain around her neck. She had taken it from Finch after she had stabbed him with the letter opener.

"What about it?" Karie asked. She gently fingered the gold chain.

"Didn't the woman say that it could be used for any one thing?" Will asked.

Karie turned her head away from him to look at Benny's still form and Anna Maria trying in vain to stop the bleeding with Karie's jacket.

Benny's stomach went up, and then down. There was a pause. And then it went up and down again. Benny's slow, ragged breathing was becoming less and less. Karie had to make a decision, and soon.

She turned her head back to Will. "You're right," she whispered. Then she turned her head to Anna Maria again. Karie gently touched Anna Maria on the shoulder. The older woman turned around and gave Karie a look that said she didn't know what to do.

"I can't stop it," she whispered, her voice barely audible in the quiet.

Karie lifted the locket over her head and placed it in Anna Maria's hand, closing her friend's brown fingers over the chain and pendant. "Use it," Karie said. "Bring Benny back with it."

Anna Maria opened her fingers and stared at the locket in surprise. "But this is yer birthright," she protested. "How can I take something like that from ye? It's not right."

"I want you to have it," Karie said. "It's yours now."

Anna Maria's fingers closed over the locket. "Thank ye," she whispered.

Then, Anna Maria placed the locket on Benny's chest, where the wound was, and she opened the locket.

The locket, for some reason, started to play a song.

Jack heard a song that spoke of freedom and getting what he wanted.

Anna Maria heard a song that spoke of sadness and mourning.

Karie heard a song that spoke of family and forgiveness.

Gibbs heard a song about drinking and being famous.

And Will heard a song about love and his Elizabeth.

The song was different for each person because the song was one of the heart, and each person's heart had a different desire.

Suddenly, Benny stirred. He groaned, and before the amazed eyes of the companions, his wound began to close. They watched as the flesh knit itself together, folding and overlapping until it was whole again. The blood had dried up, and the wound had closed of itself.

Benny sat up suddenly and looked around. "What's going on?" He asked. "What happened?"

"You were shot," Karie said matter-of-factly.

"Oh," Benny said. Then he saw Karie's hair. "You have blood in your hair," he said, pointing out the obvious.

"It's not mine," Karie said, shaking her head and splattering blood all over her face. She wiped her face with her sleeve.

When Benny had sat up, the locket had fallen to the ground. Now Karie picked it up and closed it. She clasped it around her neck, and let it lay there, resting against her collarbone.

Benny stood up and tested his feet. He ran around in a circle for a moment before sitting down again.

Anna Maria only smiled. She stood up and stretched her legs.

"Oh," she said, and picked up the blood-stained jacket that she had used to help keep Benny alive. She handed it to Karie. "Here," she said. "I believe this belongs to ye."

Karie smiled. "No thanks," she said, holding up a hand. "I don't think I'll be needing it anymore.

Anna Maria shrugged and gave it to Gibbs, who looked at it as though it was poisonous, and dropped it on the ground, patting himself down to remove any imaginary leavings of the jacket.

Jack had said nothing through this whole event, but now he went up to Gibbs. "I think it would be best if we set off for Tortuga with all speed," he said.

Gibbs nodded and gave a bunch of orders. Benny resumed his post at the topmast and Anna Maria resumed hers at the wheel.

"Let's get this deck cleaned up, shall we?" Karie said, and she, along with some of the leftover men from the crew of the_ Seabird_, took some mops and began to swab away the blood. Some other men took the bodies of the men who had died and threw them over the side of the ship.

Soon, the ship was on its way back to Tortuga, and the Pearl.

**A/N: One chapter left. Read and review, please! (But no flames, please)**


	24. Prelude: The Wrong Decision

**Chapter 24 – Prelude (The Wrong Decision)**

Karie closed her eyes and breathed in the salt air. She heard the sounds of Tortuga, and it broke into her daydream. She sighed and left her place at the stern of the deck. She turned her head to the bow, and saw Jack's eyes watching her. He had been unusually serious throughout most of their little adventure, and Karie had no idea why.

Karie headed for the bow, and to where Jack was standing, with his gaze no longer fixed on her, but on the island of their destination, where they had just arrived.

"Jack," Karie began.

"Captain," he barked out, and turned to speak with Gibbs. "Just one boat," he said. "I will go ashore with yourself and Miss Karie over here." He pointed to Karie, who was standing not two feet away.

"Aye, Captain," Gibbs said, and gave the order to Marty. Then Gibbs strode off to find a secret place to drink some rum.

"Jack," Karie began tentatively.

Jack turned to face her. "It's Captain Jack, and I don't have the time to talk," he said, walking off.

Karie followed him. "Jack, I want to thank you for opening that door when you did," she said. "If you hadn't been there," here she looked down at her hands. "Well, I don't know what might have happened to me." She looked up again.

Jack had been seemingly ignoring her, but in truth he had been paying very much attention. He turned now to face her.

"So thank you," Karie finished.

"Yer welcome," Jack returned. Then he turned away from her and walked with a swagger down the steps and to the captain's cabin of the Pearl.

Karie sighed and returned to the stern of the deck. Then, she decided to gather her things. The only reason that Jack would have for including her when they go ashore would be because he thinks that she should stay there.

That was fine with her, but she would miss Anna Maria. But she wouldn't miss Benny's incessant chatter. He was still nattering in Anna Maria's ear as Karie climbed the steps that led below deck. She went over to where she had shared a bunk with Anna Maria and started to gather her things.

She was almost finished when there was a banging sound, and something fell out of the trunk where she and Anna Maria had kept their things. Karie jumped at first, but recovered quickly, and bent down to see what it was that had fallen out.

It was a necklace. Karie picked it up and found that it was quite heavy. The chain of the necklace was obviously gold (Karie could tell by the weight and by the color). Karie held it in the palm of her hands, and watched as the color in the stone turned from red to black.

"Strange," Karie murmured. "It changes color. I wonder what black means."

"It means you're making a wrong decision," a voice said, and Karie looked up. Anna Maria stood by the stairs. "It was something that my father gave me. He told me that when I was doing the right thing, then it would turn my favorite color. It's supposed to change color according to whatever it right." She came up to Karie and took the necklace in her hand.

"I – I'm sorry," Karie began. "It fell out. I was just going to put it back –"

Anna Maria held up a hand. "So, ye're leaving, are ye?" She asked, changing the subject, and pocketing the necklace.

Karie nodded and swallowed. "Yes," she said, her voice sounding surer than she felt.

"Just like that?" Anna Maria's voice stabbed at Karie accusatorially.

"I'm sorry," Karie tried, "It's just –"

"I know, I know," Anna Maria interrupted her. "Ye want to return home to yer sister and all." She waved her hand in the air. "I'm just disappointed, is all."

She went to her bunk and climbed in. Karie followed her with her eyes. Then she grabbed what was left of her stuff and packed it in an old shirt that Anna Maria had given her.

Karie was about to leave, when she turned around. "I guess this is goodbye," she said.

Anna Maria ignored her, and said nothing.

Feeling a little hurt, Karie turned towards the ladder again.

She was just putting her foot on the bottom rung when Anna Maria called out, "Wait."

Karie turned and waited while Anna Maria came up to her.

"Here," Anna Maria said. "I want ye to have this." She dug into her pocket and pulled out the necklace. "It's not as good as Jack's compass, but it'll help ye make the right decision."

"But you said your father gave this to you," Karie said, holding the necklace in her open palm.

"I never use it anyway," Anna Maria said, shrugging. "Keep it. It just might come in handy."

Karie nodded. "Thank you," she said, and she climbed the ladder to the deck.

Jack was at that moment directing a couple of sailors as they lowered the lifeboat into the water. Karie went up to him and waited until the boat had been lowered.

The salty air blew Karie's cropped, reddish blond hair into her face. She curled some of it behind her ears and climbed down the rope ladder into the lifeboat. Then, Gibbs rowed the three of them to shore.

When they reached the dock, Karie jumped out and tied up the boat. Then, when she straightened, she saw Jack eyeing her.

"What?" She asked. She wasn't sure if she was making the right decision, and she had a knot in her stomach. Anna Maria's compass pressed against her leg from where it lay inside her pocket.

"Ye didn't need to tie up the boat, missy," Gibbs said.

Suddenly, Karie understood. They were just dropping her off. For some reason, the prospect of leaving the Pearl and not getting to go on adventures all the time made her very sad, and she swallowed hard.

"I see," she said diplomatically. "Very well, then." She untied the rope and threw it back into the boat.

"This is where we part," Jack said drunkenly.

"I know that, Jack," Karie said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Although, we will miss yer cooking, Miss Karie," Gibbs called as he began to row the boat back to the Pearl. Karie held up a hand in reply and watched as the little boat returned to the Pearl and the great ship let out her sails.

As the Pearl was sailing away, Karie felt like she was making the wrong decision. She remembered what Anna Maria had said and, on an impulse, pulled out the necklace that Anna Maria had given her.

She held the necklace out in front of her and watched as the color changed from red – which was Karie's favorite color – to black. Karie looked up at the shrinking form of the ship where she had been for the past two months.

Then, she pocketed the compass and turned back to Tortuga and her old life of serving drinks to smelly old men. She grimaced at the thought, but took the first few steps that would lead back to the Two Hornpipes tavern.

-

Jack watched Tortuga's port grow smaller and smaller. He knew that he didn't regret leaving Karie behind. She wasn't meant for a pirate's life anyway. She was almost noble. She would be able to find her way back home, to where her sister was. He had no doubt of that.

Jack pulled out his compass and watched the hand spin around in a circle. Then, after shaking it a couple of times because it wasn't pointing in the right direction (any direction but the one that led to Tortuga), the dial pointed directly away from Tortuga's port, and to another adventure.

Jack gave the heading to Marty, who in turn gave it to Anna Maria, who was at the wheel. She turned the ship in the right direction, and to a new adventure.

-

Far away, on a small island, a woman stood watching the sea. Through her eyes, she could see the world. She had pale, peach-colored skin and green eyes. Her hair was long and colored a dark brown. Her dress was white.

As she watched the sea lap against the shore of her island, and as she felt the breeze whisper secrets to her, she smiled to herself. She knew what was going to happen in the future.

As she gazed across the sea, she smiled again, and winked.

**A/N: That's the last chapter; the story is finished! Review, please, and let me know what you think.**


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